NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 16 – The government has cracked down on criminal gangs after the Inspector-General of the National Police Service (NPS), Douglas Kanja, convened a high-level security summit with senior police commanders at the National Police Leadership Academy, where he ordered urgent and coordinated action against rising organized criminal activity across the country.
The meeting brought together top leadership from the Kenya Police Service (KPS), the Administration Police Service (APS), and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), in what officials described as a strategic review of national security operations and emerging crime trends.
According to the National Police Service, the summit assessed the current operational environment, reviewed threat patterns, and developed new interventions aimed at strengthening law enforcement capacity and response times.
Addressing the commanders, IG Kanja commended senior officers for what he termed their relentless efforts in managing evolving security challenges, but urged them to adopt more adaptive and efficient strategies in the use of available resources.
He issued a firm warning over what he described as the resurgence of criminal gangs, directing police commanders to take immediate and decisive action to dismantle organised groups operating in various parts of the country.
“The Inspector-General declared a zero-tolerance stance on operational negligence and warned that any lapse in enforcement would not be tolerated,” the National Police Service said in a statement.
Those in attendance included Deputy Inspector-General of KPS Eliud Lagat, Deputy Inspector-General of APS Gilbert Masengeli, and DCI Director Mohamed Amin.
The summit also emphasized the need for enhanced coordination between investigative and operational units, particularly the DCI and field commanders, in addressing organised crime networks, urban gangs, and other emerging security threats.
IG Kanja reaffirmed the National Police Service’s commitment to safeguarding public safety, maintaining law and order, and ensuring a secure environment for social and economic activity.
The directive comes amid growing concern over criminal networks operating in urban and peri-urban areas, with authorities increasingly focusing on intelligence-led policing and rapid response operations.
The National Police Service said further operational briefings and deployments are expected in the coming days as part of the new security strategy rolled out following the summit.
