NPS clears long-pending promotions for 1,948 officers after court ruling

NPS clears long-pending promotions for 1,948 officers after court ruling

The NPS said the promotions would improve its operations and service delivery as part of ongoing reforms and efforts to strengthen public confidence in policing.

The National Police Service (NPS) has approved the promotion of 1,948 officers who completed the required courses and met the conditions for advancement.

The move follows a Court of Appeal ruling that upheld a lower court decision on the powers of the Inspector General to manage uniformed police officers.

The ruling, delivered on October 16, 2026, upheld the lower court’s interpretation of the Constitution on the management of sworn police officers, including decisions on employment, assignment, promotion, suspension and dismissal.

In a statement, the NPS said Inspector General Douglas Kanja had formally approved the promotions to various ranks following the decision in consolidated Civil Appeal Nos. E971 and E957 of 2025.

“The Inspector General of the National Police Service (NPS), Douglas Kanja, MGH, CBS, OGW, has formally approved the promotion of 1,948 officers, whose promotions had been pending, to various ranks, following the ruling of the Court of Appeal of Kenya in Civil Appeal Nos. E971 & E957 of 2025,” the service said.

“The officers concerned had successfully undertaken the requisite promotional courses and met all the prescribed conditions for advancement. Their promotions take effect accordingly.”

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Kanja congratulated the officers and wished them success in their new positions, urging them to uphold professionalism, integrity and diligence in carrying out their duties.

He reminded them that promotion comes with greater responsibility and called on them to serve with fairness, accountability and respect for the rule of law.

The NPS said the promotions would improve its operations and service delivery as part of ongoing reforms and efforts to strengthen public confidence in policing.

The court ruling followed a long-running dispute over the respective roles of the Inspector General and the NPSC in recruiting and managing uniformed officers.

A three-judge bench, comprising Justices Patrick Kiage, Jamila Mohammed and Jessie Lesiit, held that the Inspector General’s independent command over the police service covers personnel decisions involving sworn officers.

They distinguished these responsibilities from the commission’s role in managing civilian employees within the service, including administrative, technical, medical, accounting, information technology and legal staff.

The decision reinforced the constitutional protections governing the Inspector General’s command under Article 245 while addressing the commission’s mandate under Article 246.

The dispute had led to interim court orders in February 2026 suspending the exercise of certain powers relating to police promotions and dismissals as the appeals proceeded. The final decision upheld the lower court’s position, ending the uncertainty surrounding the management of uniformed officers.

The case began in September 2025 when the NPSC advertised vacancies for police constables and published recruitment regulations. Former Kilome MP John Harun Mwau challenged the move, arguing that the recruitment of uniformed officers fell under the National Police Service and the Inspector General’s independent command.

On October 30, 2025, the Employment and Labour Relations Court ruled in favour of the challenge, declaring the commission’s recruitment regulations unconstitutional and limiting its authority over uniformed officers.

The NPSC and the Law Society of Kenya subsequently appealed, arguing that the Constitution gave the commission a role in recruitment and other human resource matters within the service. However, the Court of Appeal dismissed the consolidated appeals, leaving the lower court’s ruling in place.

The NPS said the promotions would support its efforts to become a professional, efficient and responsive police service that provides effective and accountable policing.

“Promotion carries with it greater responsibility,” the Inspector General said in the statement, calling on the officers to discharge their mandate with fairness, accountability and respect for the rule of law.

The service reaffirmed its commitment to protecting and serving the public while working towards people-centred policing for a safe and prosperous society.