NAIROBI, Kenya- Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has officially opened and handed over a new 16-classroom training block at the National Criminal Investigations Academy in South C, Nairobi.
The facility, constructed with support from the United States Africa Command, was commissioned on Wednesday as part of efforts to expand and modernise law-enforcement training in Kenya.
The new block will increase the academy’s capacity to accommodate trainees and offer a wider range of specialised courses in contemporary policing and criminal investigations.
According to the National Police Service, the facility will also provide a modern environment for continuous professional development and cooperation among different security agencies handling complex crimes.
Kanja said the building represented an investment in the skills and professional development of police officers.
“This is more than a building that we are commissioning today,” Kanja said.
“It is a concrete affirmation that, through cooperation, we can equip our officers with the infrastructure, knowledge and skills they need.”
The Inspector General said investigators must conduct their work professionally, objectively and in accordance with the law.
He added that evidence should be properly collected and analysed to ensure it can withstand scrutiny in court.
Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin said the partnership between the DCI and the United States extended beyond the construction of physical infrastructure.
Deputy Inspector General of the Kenya Police Service Eliud Lagat described the facility as an important step in strengthening the capacity of police personnel.
Administration Police Service Chief of Staff James Kamau, who represented Deputy Inspector General Gilbert Masengeli, said the development of police institutions depended heavily on training and investment in human resources.
AFRICOM representative Major General William Temple said the project demonstrated a commitment to strengthening Kenya’s law-enforcement institutions.
He said the block would provide investigators with a modern space to train, collaborate and respond to changing criminal threats.
US Embassy Regional Security Officer Corynn Stratton said the facility would help prepare a new generation of Kenyan investigators to confront sophisticated criminal networks, including narcotics trafficking and transnational organised crime.
Kanja was received at the academy by Lagat, Amin, Kamau and NCIA Commandant Ibrahim Jillo, alongside other senior security officers.
The National Criminal Investigations Academy is responsible for training investigators and other law-enforcement officers in criminal investigations and related professional courses.
