Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced that the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit (NMPU) will be operational by May 1, 2026.
This comes after President William Ruto directed Murkomen to develop a framework for the specialized police unit to address rising insecurity, which has hindered the smooth running of the capital.
CS Murkomen, while meeting the technical committee overseeing the unit’s formation and rollout on Friday, April 10, emphasized that the unit is critical in managing the security of a high-population metropolis.
This move aims to make enahnce safety of residents, visitors, and investors, in line with the government’s urban security commitment.
“In line with President William Ruto’s directive and the cooperation agreement between the National Government and Nairobi City County, we are committed to establishing the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit by May 1,” he said.
Murkomen briefed on the Nairobi Police Department
During the meeting, the committee briefed the CS on the proposed structure, command framework, and rollout strategy. They also reviewed the key milestones achieved so far and outlined the road ahead, building on the previous discussions.
The group focused on improving coordination, enhancing service delivery, and ensuring the unit’s full alignment with the National Police Service mandate, in line with the ongoing development strategy.
Murkomen said the ministry will ensure the business community’s CCTV systems are interoperable with police systems for swift investigations.
To support this, the CS said officials will install new CCTV cameras in business centers and residential areas. He also said private systems will link directly with police systems.
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“We want to ensure that their CCTV systems are interoperable with the police’s so that it is quick to carry out investigations when issues arise,” Murkomen explained.
As part of the security reforms, the government will also upgrade Nairobi’s surveillance network from NC3 (National Command and Control Centre, version 3) to NC4 (National Command and Control Centre, version 4). This upgrade will improve data processing and analysis.
Murkomen stated that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will help officers detect crime patterns and plan targeted responses.
He argued that urban policing presents unique challenges and that the NMPU will provide specialized solutions.
The CS said the upgraded system will enhance data analysis capabilities, enabling authorities to identify crime patterns in specific areas and respond more effectively and scientifically.
The ministry said in February that it plans to study how specialized policing units operate in developed cities over a 60-day period, with the aim of adopting advanced models that can be replicated locally.
“Part of our plans is to ensure that we incorporate the business community in the city, largely because we want their CCTV systems to be interoperable with police systems, so that investigations can be carried out quickly when issues arise,” Murkomen said earlier.
One of the cities with an operational dedicated unit is New York City in the United States, where the New York City Police Department (NYPD) is in charge.
The department operates across five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island.
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Nairobi to Get Upgraded Command Centre Within 60 Days-Ruto
This comes after President William Ruto directed the Ministry of Interior to commence, within the next 60 days, implementation of enhancements to the Integrated Command and Control Communications Center in Nairobi.
Speaking on Thursday, April 9, while addressing Nairobi MCA’s, Ruto said the measures aim to make the capital safer, more coordinated, and efficient in responding to urban security challenges.
Ruto said the cooperation deal between the national government and Nairobi County will strengthen urban security through the establishment of a Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit framework to support coordinated, responsive, and effective security management across the capital.
“This will improve CCTV camera coverage across the city and accelerate digitization within our security services, including digital Occurrence Books (O.Bs), which are digital records of incidents reported to the police, along with advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) systems. All are aimed at improving responsiveness, efficiency, and turnaround times in our police stations,” he said.
