Incoming Nakuru County Police boss pledges firm action on criminals

Barely a year since Emmanuel Opuru took charge as the county’s Police commander, Nthe National Police Service has yet again effected new changes by replacing him with Mr Samuel Boit, the former Migori Subcounty police commander.

In an exclusive phone interview with Mtaa Wangu the new commander says his time in office will be defined by ensuring a secure, safer, and conducive environment.

“A secure, safer, and conducive environment for the people of Nakuru,” he states when asked about his priorities.

“A secure, safer and conducive environment for the people of Nakuru,” he states when asked about his priorities - a promise that, one could argue, doesn’t carry weight in a town that has seasonally been dealing with bouts of insecurity and violent crime, and residents keen to see words matched by action.

When reminded that his arrival had coincided with reports of murders in the county, the commander remains unfazed, dismissing them as minor incidents and insisting that a tangible shift in the security atmosphere was already underway.

“Even when you walk around town, the environment itself tells you that you are in a safer environment and that the objective we are working towards,” he says.

If asked whether certain sub-counties had been flagged to him as problem areas, Boit notes that all 11 sub-counties are priorities for him.

“If we single out one area, we neglect others, and we aim to treat everyone equally - they are all our people,” he says.

The new commander comes from Migori County, where he previously served as the Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD).

Although he’s been through a swift handover, he acknowledges that he is yet to formally sit down with his full security team, noting that a number of command changes are still settling into place.

“I am waiting for the new commanders to settle in, and then we will deliberate and set the pace,” he says.

The change marks yet another shift in security leadership in the county after Opuru himself had taken office just 8 months ago from his predecessor, Samuel Ndanyi, who vacated the seat back in October 2024.

During his brief tenure, Opuru's leadership was tested during the violent land clash that erupted in Mau Narok, leaving houses razed and the Nakuru–Narok road temporarily blocked amid the chaos.

Nakuru residents will be watching closely to see whether that promise of equal, county-wide security holds, particularly in estates that have historically borne the heaviest burden of crime.