Acting IG, Mr. Noor Gabow disbands Special Service Unit (SSU)

The acting Inspector General of Police (IG) Mr. Noor Gabow has disbanded the Directorate of Criminal Investigations' Special Service Unit (SSU) with immediate effect.

Announcing the directive which was shared by the Kenya Police on social media the disbandment of the unit which was formed by former DCI boss Mr. George Kinoti takes place immediately and all the security officers have been directed to report to DCI for further directions.

"DCI Special Service Unit (SSU) has been disbanded with immediate effect following a directive from the acting Inspector General of Police Mr. Noor Gabow," read part of the statement shared by Kenya Police.

The recent move comes at a time when the National Police Service prepares for reorganization under the new administration.

The unit (SSU) was formed on 31/12/2019 after Flying Squad was disbanded by the former director of DCI Mr. George Kinoti.

From left, George Kinoti, Noor Gabow and Edward Njoroge Mbugua From left, George Kinoti, Noor Gabow and Edward Njoroge Mbugua Pulse Live Kenya

READ: George Kinoti resigns as DCI boss

Announcing the disbandment of the Flying Squad then, the former DCI boss, George Kinoti noted that all flying squad units in the country had been disbanded and renamed after being taken through intensive training.

"With effect from today, the Unit has equally been disbanded. This marks the end of the Flying Squad Unit & no officer will present himself or herself to the public as such. Equally, the Special Crime Prevention Unit (SCPU) has been scaled down to a smaller unit only based ..at Headquarters, Nairobi. It has been renamed Special Service Unit (SSU)".

"Officers deployed in the unit have undergone intense training in & outside the country leading to the upgrading of their competencies, enhanced skills & knowledge aimed at making the Unit more effective & efficient while maximizing on the available resources," read part of a statement on social media from the DCI.

Outgoing DCI Director George Kinoti with acting DCI Hamisi Massa on Friday, September 30, 2022. Pulse Live Kenya

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Some of the cases that the SSU handled include; armed robberies, kidnappings, motor vehicle theft, sale and distribution of contraband, and substandard goods among others.

Other cases handled by the unit included the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB) for intelligence-driven operations alongside other augmenting units including cybercrime, ballistics, scenes of crime, principal crime registrar, Crime Intelligence Unit, Homicide, (DNA, Toxicological, Chemistry and Biology Lab Units).

The unit also worked closely with other State security agencies for information and intelligence sharing, among others.