23,000 APs integrated into police as reforms kick off

NAIROBI—The government has merged the Administration Police service and their Kenya police service in push to reform service.

Following the accession of 23,990 service men and women from the Administration Police Service (APS) into the Kenya Police Service (KPS).

Speaking during the integration ceremony held at the National Police Service College (Embakasi A Campus), the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Coordination of National Government, Dr. Fred Matiangi, said the move is one of the critical milestones in the transformation of Kenya’s policing and the entire security sector.

Dr. Matiangi challenged police officers to look beyond the administrative reforms and reflect the absolute change of organizational culture, attitudes and values envisioned for the Service.

“We must now move from a Police Force to a Police Service…this must be a change the people of Kenya can experience,” he said, adding that the blanket negative civilian review of police can no longer be excused.

Some 2,000 officers from the Anti Stock Theft Police Unit (ASTU) have also been transferred to the Administration Police Service, and the Cabinet Secretary divulged that the government will bank on the new integration framework to solve immediate and historical security challenges in the country.

He said: “We are going to step up the deployment of these officers to complement community policing efforts to address issues like the perennial cattle-rustling in the North Rift.”

On his part, the Inspector General Hillary Mutyambai allayed concerns that the transfer of officers from one unit to another would create a vacuum. The IG added that arrangements have been made to ensure a
seamless transition so that there is no security breach.

In this regard, NPS has mapped out all police stations, posts and patrol bases to inform the deployment of personnel and resources.
Dr. Matiangi, who was accompanied by CAS Patrick Ole Ntutu, also commended the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) for its determination to stay the course of the reforms agenda.

Besides superintending some of the oversight changes, the Commission has been well disposed to the comprehensive transformation vision since it was launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta on September 13, 2018.

So far, NPS has operationalized a new command and control at the counties, including police formations and units; strengthened policy and management communications across different units; administration of effective operational preparedness; and realization of improved logistical and equipment capacity.

The government has also established a Digital Human Resource Information System and is progressively improving police welfare, including provision of house allowances for officers of all ranks to help them secure decent accommodation.