Kenya Police Launches Elite Leadership Courses to Forge Future Strategic Commanders and Strengthen National Security

The Kenya Police Service has officially launched Higher Training Courses (HTC 127–130) at the National Police College (NPC) in Kiganjo. Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat described the initiative as a key step in developing the Service’s next generation of strategic leaders. He said it is a deliberate investment in national stability.

“We are not here to mark a routine administrative event. We are here to commission a leadership cadre for the Kenya of tomorrow,” Lagat said during the opening ceremony. He added that the officers represent more than a class. “You are a strategic investment in our nation’s stability and a deliberate answer to its most pressing question: Who will protect the promise of Kenya?”

The DIG acknowledged the challenges officers face in today’s policing environment. He noted that their service occurs under intense reform, constitutional scrutiny, and public oversight. “Every action is measured against the Constitution. Every inaction is magnified on social media,” he said. He challenged participants to lead through conduct rather than authority. “Today, you begin the far more difficult task: authoring a new narrative by your daily conduct. Transform an institution not by decree, but by example,” he added.

Lagat described the college as a “forge” where operational experience is honed into command capability. “True authority flows not from rank, but from earned legitimacy. The most powerful tool is not a weapon, but a listening ear,” he said. Officers were urged to tackle pressing issues such as climate-linked conflict, hate speech, and community-centred policing. Their concept papers should offer solutions, not just study problems.

Closing his remarks, Lagat reminded officers of their heavy responsibility. “When you walk out of Kiganjo, you will carry a new weight; the weight of a nation’s trust.” With confidence in the class, he officially declared HTC 127 through 130 open, signalling a new era of leadership and strategic command in the Kenya Police Service.