2,500 officers set to join Nairobi Metropolitan police unit

The National Police Service (NPS) stakeholders’ engagement meeting at the National Police Leadership Academy (NPLA) discussion on the establishment of the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit (NMPU) on June 4, 2026. [Jonah Onyango, Standard].

At least 2,500 officers from Nairobi County inspectorate will join Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit once it is unveiled, governor Johnson Sakaja has announced.

The directive to form the Unit composed of police officers drawn from the National Police Service and Nairobi County was issued in February by President Ruto during the signing of Cooperation Agreement between the County and National government.

As part of the ongoing preparation, it is stated the officers who will join the unit will first undergo specialised training before deployed.

“We will train 2,500 police officers from the county and the National Police Service. They will undergo vigorous training to address the security challenges of the city,” governor Sakaja announced during a church service at St. Austin’s Church in Westlands on Sunday

He added that, “We need more security patrols in Nairobi than traffic patrols because this is a city of seven million people with unique security needs,”

Already Kamukunji police station has already been proposed as the headquarters of the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit that is currently being formed to tackle crime in Nairobi.

At the same time Sakaja challenged security agencies to take decisive action against individuals accused of disrupting political meetings, saying many of the perpetrators had already been identified.

He said the continued use of goons to intimidate political opponents had heightened political tensions and posed a serious threat to peace and stability ahead of the elections.

On July 17, 2026 a team from the Ministry of Interior on Friday visited the Kamukunji police station for a fact finding mission ahead of some scheduled construction of some operation units within the station to accommodate more workforce.

The visit was led by Secretary for Internal Security, Thomas Sakah alongside a technical team comprising representatives from the Kenya Defence Forces, Kenya Police Service.

Other officials were from the Administration Police Service, Nairobi City County Government and the State Department for Housing and Urban Development on a site assessment to determine its suitability.

“Kamukunji is one of Nairobi’s clearest representations of the city’s role as Kenya’s commercial and financial centre but operating within a complex urban security environment,” the Ministry of Interior said in a statement

Earlier, the headquarters had been proposed to be set up at City Cabanas alongside control rooms of smart cameras but according to Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja, he proposed Kakunji since it is a central point.

“Kamukunji is strategically located in one of the city’s most densely populated areas on the eastern side of Nairobi, commonly referred to as Eastlands. Its central location makes it an ideal base for the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit,” Sakaja stated

Adding, “Following benchmarking visits to New York and London, we have already made significant progress toward establishing the unit. A new modern station is scheduled for construction,”