IN SHORT: A document circulating on Facebook appears to list newly appointed commanders of Nairobi police stations, with users suggesting that the appointments were made along ethnic lines. But the National Police Service has labelled the document fake, and there are no credible reports supporting such appointments.
A document circulating on Facebook appears to list newly appointed officers commanding stations (OCSs) for police stations across Nairobi, Kenya's capital.
Bearing the National Police Service logo and titled "Re: Appointment of Nairobi OCSs", it lists officers allegedly appointed to head 34 police stations.
These include Central, Pangani, Kilimani, Buruburu, Kasarani, Embakasi, Lang'ata, Parklands, Kamukunji, Jogoo Road, Gigiri, Karen, Runda, Ruai and Umoja.
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The caption accompanying the list reads: "The most tribal govt." It suggests that the appointments were made along ethnic lines, as all the officers named have surnames commonly associated with the Kalenjin community.
The Kalenjin are one of Kenya's largest ethnic communities, concentrated mainly in the Rift Valley region and include president William Ruto.
An OCS, also known as a police station or ward commander, is the senior officer in charge of a police station. They oversee day-to-day operations, supervise officers, coordinate crime prevention and security activities and enforce the law within their jurisdiction.
The list, and similar versions making the same claim, has been shared on Facebook, including here, here, here and here.
But does it show genuine appointments by the National Police Service? We checked.
Ignore fake list
If the National Police Service had appointed new commanders to 34 police stations across Nairobi, the changes would almost certainly have been announced through official channels and reported by reputable Kenyan media outlets.
Large-scale appointments and transfers of senior police officers are routinely announced in official National Police Service statements or internal police communications and attract significant public attention because they affect policing in the capital.
However, we found no credible reports announcing the appointments listed in the circulating document.
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Instead, on 5 August 2026, the National Police Service posted the document on its verified Facebook page with a large "FAKE" stamp across it, dismissing it as inauthentic.
The circulating list is fake. It does not show genuine appointments of Nairobi police station commanders by the National Police Service.
