Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen led a high-level Kenyan delegation to New York and London on June 4, 2026 for a benchmarking mission aimed at shaping the proposed Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit (NMPU).
The visits to the New York Police Department (NYPD) and UK policing institutions, including the City of London Police, are part of broader efforts to draw lessons from leading global urban policing models.
The initiative follows President William Ruto’s directive earlier in 2026 to establish a dedicated metropolitan police unit to tackle rising insecurity, emerging crime threats, and public order challenges in Nairobi and its satellite towns.
The delegation, which included Deputy Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli in some reports and other senior officials, sought to address implementation gaps and adopt best practices in technology-driven policing, community safety, crime prevention, and operational coordination.
In New York, the team toured NYPD facilities, focusing on surveillance systems, data analytics, facial recognition, social media monitoring, and strategies for tracking crime trends across a major metropolis. Discussions explored potential partnerships between Kenya’s National Police Service and the NYPD.
The delegation then proceeded to London, where they held talks with UK Home Secretary Rt. Hon. Shabana Mahmood, Minister of State for Policing and Crime Sarah Jones, and officials from the City of London Police. These engagements emphasized leveraging the UK’s extensive experience in metropolitan policing.
Interior CS Murkomen highlighted the long-standing Kenya-UK partnership in security and noted that talks also covered the broader Kenya–UK Strategic Partnership Framework.
The benchmark tour training, according to CS, is to help them learn how London integrates technology, artificial intelligence, and smart surveillance into command and control systems to monitor the city and fight crime.
“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.”
Conversely, Sakaja reiterated that the unit aims to creating a modern and effective security unit capable of addressing the unique challenges facing Nairobi as a rapidly growing metropolitan city.
Additionally, “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.”
He added that the benchmarking exercise is expected to extend to other cities like Rome and Tokyo. Officials have expressed optimism about finalizing plans for the NMPU.
The specialized proposed unit is envisioned to enhance security coordination, improve response times, integrate technology, and foster community-oriented policing tailored to Nairobi’s dynamic urban environment.
The international learning tour underscores the Kenyan government’s commitment to evidence-based reforms in law enforcement as Nairobi continues to grow as one of Africa’s major economic hubs.
