At the height of the July 20, 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests, then Nairobi police chief Adamson Bungei came under intense public scrutiny.
To the Executive, Mr Bungei—then an Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG)—was the man expected to restore order as Gen Z protesters filled the streets.
Gen Z protestors along Kenyatta Avenue in Nairobi on June 25.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada| Nation Media Group
But to human rights groups, he was a rogue police chief who oversaw a brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrators.
Hundreds of Gen Z protesters poured into Nairobi’s streets to demand the withdrawal of the Finance Bill, which they argued would overburden taxpayers. The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) condemned Mr Bungei and his officers for the manner in which they handled the protests.
Mr Bungei is among the senior Nairobi police commanders summoned to court to shed light on the deaths of protesters, including Rex Masai, who died after being shot during the demonstrations.
In his testimony, he said he could not tell how Masai was killed and has denied claims that the young protester was shot by police.
Rex Masai, who was shot during the anti-tax demonstrations.
Photo credit: Pool
On January 16, 2025—five months after the controversial crackdown—Bungei was not only transferred from his Nairobi post but also promoted and appointed Director of Police Operations at Vigilance House.
He was elevated to Senior Assistant Inspector General of Police, placing him in charge of all police operations nationwide and positioning him strongly within the police service’s succession hierarchy.
For a man who spent most of his career in the Administration Police before moving to the regular police, his new office and rank made him one of the most powerful police chiefs at Vigilance House. He became the third-most senior officer in the command chain.
However, on Thursday—only eight months after assuming the operations docket—Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja announced a mini reshuffle that saw Mr Bungei moved again.
He replaces Jecinta Muthoni, who is set to retire at the end of the month.
In the changes, Rift Valley Regional Police Commander Jasper Ombati was moved to Central Region as the police commander. Ombati, who also previously served as police spokesman, swaps positions with Samuel Ndanyi, who now takes over as Rift Valley Regional Commander.
Donatha Kiplagat, formerly at police headquarters in the personnel department, has been moved to the Kenya Police Training College in Kiganjo as the new deputy commandant. Kiplagat previously served as a trainer and Director of Studies at Kiganjo before becoming Murang’a County Police Commander.
More changes are expected in the police service as IG Kanja and his team reorganise the command structure ahead of the 2027 General Election.
