The National Police Service (NPS) is Kenya’s law enforcement agency at Jogoo House, headquartered in Nairobi.
NPS Nis is currently headed by Inspector General Japhet Koome, assisted by two Deputy Inspector Generals for Kenya Police and Administration Police.
Then there is the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) whose main functions include probing into various criminal issues.
They are seen as the engine of the service.
Within the police, there are several support units that enhance their operations at large.
They include the General Service Unit.
There are more than 100,000 police officers in Kenya.
The Kenya police force was established as a British colonial police force in 1907.
From 1887 to 1902 policing was provided by the East Africa Trading Company.
After 1902 the Kenya-Uganda Railway introduced its own police units.
In 1906 the Police Ordinance was established to create a new force 1907, the Nairobi Mounted Police within the jurisdiction of the East Africa Protectorate.
The current force’s name came into effect in 1920 with the newly created British Kenya Colony.
The colonial force was made up mainly of British and Indian recruits as senior officers and Africans amongst lower ranks.
Following Kenya’s independence, the British officers were replaced with local Kenyan members.
Their major ranks are IG, DIG, senior assistant inspector general of police, assistant inspector general of police, commissioner of police, senior superintendent of police, superintendent of police, assistant superintendent of police, chief inspector of police, inspector of police, senior sergeant of police, sergeant, corporal and constable.
Kenya Police is divided into General Duty and Formations.
General Duty comprises components with regions being the largest and police patrol bases being the smallest.
Regional Police Commander is in charge of a Region (formerly Provinces), a County Police Commander is in charge of Officers in the County, Sub-County Police Commander Superintends Sub-County (previously called District).
Officer Commanding Station (OCS) is in charge of a Police Station in a Ward and oversees all its Police Posts and Patrol Bases (Ward Commander).
