Mombasa — President William Ruto has called on the newly appointed police chiefs to prioritize professionalism and integrity in their duties to enhance public service.
Speaking at State House, Mombasa, during the swearing-in ceremony, President Ruto emphasized the importance of these values in maintaining public trust and effective law enforcement.
The newly appointed Deputy Inspector Generals, Eliud Lagat for the Kenya Police Service and Gilbert Masengeli for the Administration Police, were sworn in following significant changes in the police service.
These appointments came after the resignation of Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome and his two deputies, amid street protests that resulted in the deaths of over 60 people.
"You must uphold professionalism in your work," President Ruto stated, while also pledging to modernize the police service to better equip the officers for their duties.
The Kenyan police has faced criticism on how it handled the recent protests by the Gen Z youths who have been holding demonstrations demanding accountability in government.
On Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken phoned President Ruto urging him to ensure the government respects freedoms of assembly and hold rogue police officers accountable.
"The Secretary commended President Ruto for his pledge of accountability for security forces allegedly involved in protest violence or responsible for disappearances and his commitment to direct police to refrain from using violence of any kind against protesters," Blinken told the Kenyan leader.
Just last week, the police announced a ban on protests before the suspension was lifted by the High Court.
"The Secretary underscored the importance of freedoms of assembly and expression as enshrined in Kenyan's constitution, emphasized the vital role played by youth and civil society organizations in healthy democracies, and urged respect for their contributions to Kenya's development," Blinken said.
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