The newly-formed National Government Administration Police Unit (NGAPU) officially has a new commandant after the Ministry of Interior confirmed Charles Mutuma's appointment.
In a statement on Tuesday, May 6, the Ministry also announced that the new police unit was fully activated.
"Charles Mutuma has been appointed as Commandant of the newly formed NGAPU, a unit set to boost grassroots security and support government deployment efforts," the statement read.
As the commandant, Mutuma, who holds a Master of Arts in Security Management and Police Studies, will report directly to the Deputy Inspector General (APS).
Part of his new role will entail overseeing deployments and ensuring NGAPU’s operations align with national security objectives.
The Interior Ministry endorsed Mutuma's appointment, hailing the new commander as a professional who has risen through the ranks to earn his new position.
"Mutuma, who has risen through the ranks within the Administration Police Service (APS), brings with him a wealth of experience and a high reputation for professionalism, attributes that earned him his most recent promotion to the rank of Assistant Inspector General (AIG)," the statement added.
NGAPU was launched in January 2025 and was specifically designed to assist chiefs in executing operations across the country.
While its headquarters were established in Nairobi, the new police unit will also have subsidiaries at regional, county, sub-county, divisional, and locational levels.
At the time of its launch, Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen confirmed that the government had already assigned 6,000 police officers to the unit, about two officers per chief. There are 3,950 chiefs and 9,043 assistants countrywide.
NGAPU is expected to help tackle a range of challenges, including the rise of outlawed local gangs, gender-based violence, the spread of illicit brews and narcotics, as well as supporting high-risk security operations.
Incidentally, the new appointment came just days after a group of goons raided a General Service Unit (GSU) camp at Angata Barrikoi.
The goons went on a vandalism spree, destroying building structures and taking down iron sheets in an apparent retaliation to Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja's order to the group to leave the camp.
Following the clashes which left five dead in the area, IG Kanja highlighted the need for better coordination and community engagement to avert such incidents in future. The rollout of NGAPU effectively marks a crucial step in achieving this goal.
