This archive report was first published on 8 July 2019.
On July 8, 2019, Inspector General Hilary Mutyambai visited Kisumu, where he announced plans to establish a police station in each of the 1,450 wards in Kenya.
According to Mutyambai, the establishment of police stations at the lowest level of representation is part of ongoing police reforms that date back to the tenure of his predecessor, Joseph Boinnet.
The reforms, which are in the final stages of implementation, aim to set up a single police command structure at the grassroots level to address security matters of the public.
"Soon we will give details on what to do it, in two weeks time we will give full details on the implementation of this last phase," Mutyambai said.
The police stations at the ward level will work closely with community policing units to fight criminal elements in the country.
"We promised to give the best policing services in the new stations," Mutyambai said.
During his visit to Kisumu, Mutyambai also addressed police heads, saying the reforms are in line with the Constitution of the country that introduced devolution.
He expressed his satisfaction with the directive he recently issued on traffic, noting that the response from Kenyans has been massive and positive.
"What we have done, we have not removed traffic operations, we have only removed areas that were not necessary," Mutyambai said.
Nyanza regional police commander Vincent Makokha accompanied the IG and hailed the national government for revamping the Kisumu port.
"This is a major hub that is going to revitalize business in Nyanza region and I strongly believe that it is going to be a major player in reduction of crime and give our young people employment," Makokha said.
