The proposed Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit (NMPU) has received fresh backing after Kenyan authorities engaged their UK counterparts in talks focused on enhancing security collaboration and learning from internationally recognised metropolitan policing models.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, together with Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, Deputy Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli and other senior officials, met UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, UK Minister of State for Policing and Crime Sarah Jones, and the leadership of the City of London Police in London for discussions focused on the proposed Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit.
Sakaja said the talks centred on leveraging British experience in metropolitan policing to help design Nairobi’s emerging security framework.
“We explored collaboration in the establishment of the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit, drawing on the experience of the UK’s policing institutions in urban policing, public safety and crime prevention,” Sakaja said.
He added that the initiative is aimed at creating a modern and effective security unit capable of addressing the unique challenges facing Nairobi as a rapidly growing metropolitan city.
On the other hand, Murkomen observed that Kenya and the United Kingdom have a long-established partnership in security, governance and law enforcement, making Britain a crucial partner in the establishment of the new unit.
“We explored cooperation in the establishment of the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit as we seek to leverage the UK’s institutional experience and decades of operational excellence,” Murkomen said.
The Interior Cabinet Secretary noted that the discussions also covered broader issues under the Kenya-UK Strategic Partnership Framework and the two countries’ security cooperation compact.
The London meeting underscores ongoing government efforts to benchmark global best practices as preparations continue for the establishment of the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit.
It comes just a day after Sakaja and Murkomen arrived in New York City alongside senior security officials on a learning mission aimed at drawing lessons from the New York Police Department (NYPD), widely regarded as one of the world’s most successful urban policing institutions.
The visit is part of an international benchmarking exercise that will also take the team to Rome, London and Tokyo as the government finalises plans for the NMPU.
The proposed unit is expected to strengthen security, maintain public order and tackle emerging criminal threats in Nairobi, one of Africa’s fastest-growing metropolitan centres.
