Japhet Koome is a celebrated Kenyan police officer currently serving as the Inspector General of the Police in the Republic of Kenya. Koome took over the IG position from Hillary Mutyambai who lost the position after the UDA administration took the government in the August 2022 election.
The IG office was introduced in 2010 after Kenyan voted ‘Yes’ to the promulgation of the constitution which introduced more offices to serve the public. Currently, the IG’s office is one of the most crucial office for Kenyan security, and the role of the office is to lead in exercising independent command over the NPS (National Police Service.)
With only a few months in the office, Koome has already established strong stands against the law offender and his wrath has been felt by many. In this article, JamboDaily tells the story of Japheth Koome.
Japhet Koome Age and Place of Birth
Koome was born and raised in Kenya, however, details on his actual date of birth is still unclear.
Education Background
Koome atteded Kagumo High school for his secondary school level. After that, he joined the University of Nairobi where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering.
Career
His experience in the service extends to over three decades having joined the then force in 1991. His passion for serving his country began when he was still in High School, according to him when he was in form five he would visit the Kenya College, Kiganjo twice a week for a programme that was named Kenya Police Cadet Cops. The program taught young youths the work of police but it was not part of the Police training.
After completing his education, he was lucky to achieve his goal as he joined the service (then police forces.) He underwent the Police training session and went on to graduate as a police constable.
His first assignment was performing beats and patrol duties stationed in Nairobi. After that, he was moved to the Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU), and following the new role he was posted in Gilgil.
Following his tremendous job in the Unit he was credited for being the best in recovering livestock. As a reward for his well-done job, in 1998 he rose to a higher rank becoming the Superintendent of Police.
After serving in that capacity for several years, he was recalled to general duties coming back to Nairobi where he was posted in Buru Buru, Nairobi. Following his move to Nairobi he became the new deputy divisional commander.
From being a deputy divisional commander, he was then promoted to a higher rank, becoming the OCPD. Serving as the OCPD he was posted in different stations, including Buru Buru, Central Nairobi, Machakos, and Maragua.
While serving as an OCPD in Central Nairobi, he streamlined the streets which have been taken over by armed criminal gangs mostly in the Eastlands.
From OCPD he was again promoted, becoming the Director of Planning at Police headquarters. In this capacity, he managed to transform the police sector by initiating modern police housing getting the lead of the rounded iron sheet houses as well as the oldest buildings left by the colonial government.
On his last posting prior to the appointment as the Inspector General, Koome served as the Nairobi Police boss. On top of that, he also served as the Deputy Inspector General at Vigilance House and the Commandant of National Police College Main Campus-Kiganjo.
IG Appointment
Following his impressive performance in every duty he was assigned to, Koome’s resume was the best fit to replace former IG, Hillary Mutyambai. His nomination to the position was announced on 27th September 2022 by H.E William Samoei Ruto.
According to the President, the former IG was battling an illness and proceeded on terminal leave, leaving the seat vacant.
Japhet Koome Family
Japhet shares a name with the Chief Justice of Kenya, however, the police boss made it veryv clear that the two are not related. Aside from his work, Koome’s family live has remained private and much is not known about his wife or kids.
Salary and Net Worth
His monthly salary is estimated to be over Ksh 500k without allowances. Speaking of net worth, Koome’s net worth is estimated to be over Ksh 200 million.