Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has authorised the promotion of 1,948 police officers following a Court of Appeal decision affirming his authority in the management of uniformed members of the National Police Service (NPS).
In a statement issued on Monday, October 19, the NPS announced that the officers would be promoted to various ranks after fulfilling the stipulated requirements for advancement.
"Inspector General of the National Police Service (NPS), Mr. 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 No. E971 & E957 of 2025," a statement from the NPS said.
According to the service, the affected officers had already completed the mandatory promotional courses and satisfied the conditions required to move to higher ranks.
The announcement is expected to ease concerns among the officers, whose promotions had remained uncertain amid a jurisdictional dispute between Kanja and the National Police Service Commission (NPSC).
On October 16, the Court of Appeal dismissed challenges filed by the NPSC and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) against an earlier judgment concerning the recruitment and management of uniformed police officers.
The three-judge bench, comprising Justices Patrick Kiage, Jamila Mohammed and Jessie Lesiit, upheld the decision delivered by Employment and Labour Relations Court Judge Hellen Wasilwa on October 30, 2025.
With the appeals dismissed, the lower court's ruling that declared the NPSC's recruitment regulations for uniformed police officers unconstitutional remained in effect.
The legal battle began in September 2025 after the commission advertised vacancies for police constables and issued regulations governing their recruitment and appointment. The move sparked a dispute over whether the NPSC had the constitutional mandate to recruit uniformed police officers.
In its October 2025 judgment, the Employment and Labour Relations Court (ELRC) ruled that the commission's recruitment regulations were unconstitutional and prohibited it from recruiting uniformed officers.
The court also limited the commission's role in other personnel-related functions concerning members of the service. Dissatisfied with the decision, the NPSC and LSK moved to the Court of Appeal, contesting the interpretation of the Constitution and the division of responsibilities between the commission and the Inspector General.
At the centre of the dispute are Articles 245 and 246 of the Constitution, which outline the Inspector General's independent command over the National Police Service and establish the National Police Service Commission.
Following the approval of the promotions, Kanja congratulated the officers and urged them to demonstrate professionalism, integrity and diligence in carrying out their duties.
He further called on the officers to remain accountable to the public as they assume their new responsibilities.
The NPS, however, did not specify the individual ranks to which the 1,948 officers had been promoted.
