Senators on Tuesday approved the nomination of Douglas Kanja for the position of the Inspector General of Police.

Kanja's approval for the IG role was formally announced by the Speaker of the Senate, Amason Kingi during the mid-morning session.

"Pursuant to article 2A section 12 of the National Police Service Act, Section 8 of the Public Appointments and Parliamentary Approval Act, the Senate approved the nomination of Mr Douglas Kanja for the appointment for the position of Inspector General of Police," Kingi announced.

His appointment comes hardly a week after he was vetted for the new role by the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security and the Senate Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations.

During his vetting in parliament on August 15, Kanja pledged several security reforms within the National Police Service once appointed to the position.

Among the reforms included strengthening the service to eradicate the banditry menace and ending the rooted corruption within the NPS.

“I am highly experienced and exposed in many areas. You will be getting a highly experienced Inspector General who will protect you day and night,” Kanja disclosed during the vetting session.

“Cattle rustling has been commercialised. Once stolen, recovering the animals is quite a difficult task. Apart from the ongoing multi-agency approach, we need to leverage on technology such that when the animals are stolen, we can be able to trace them,” Kanja added.

Kanja takes over the new role from Japhet Koome who previously held the position before his resignation in July this year.

On July 25, President William Ruto nominated Douglas Kanja to the position of Police IG. According to Ruto, Kanja boasted a stellar career spanning nearly four decades in law enforcement and was thus fit for the position.

“In accordance with Article 245 (2) of the Constitution, His Excellency the President has nominated Douglas Kanja Kirocho for appointment as the Inspector-General of the National Police Service,” Ruto said in a statement.

"The IG Nominee has undertaken extensive security-related training at home and abroad. A career police officer who has served for a cumulative period of thirty-nine years," the Head of State added.