DIG Lagat opens higher training police courses at Kiganjo

Speaking during the official opening ceremony, Lagat underscored that the programme goes beyond routine training, instead serving as a deliberate investment in national stability.

“We are not here to mark a routine administrative event. We are here to commission a leadership cadre for the Kenya of tomorrow,” he said.

“You are not just a class; you are a strategic investment in our nation's stability and a deliberate answer to its most pressing question: Who will protect the promise of Kenya?”

Lagat described the officers as products of a transformative period in policing, marked by reform, constitutional scrutiny and heightened public oversight.

“You have served under the white-hot scrutiny of reform, where every action is measured against the Constitution and every inaction is magnified on social media,” he noted.

Framing the course as a platform for institutional renewal, Lagat challenged participants to redefine policing leadership through conduct rather than authority alone.

He added: “Today, you begin the far more difficult task: authoring a new narrative by your daily conduct. This is the heavy, honourable work of leadership, to transform an institution not by decree, but by example.”

He emphasised that strategic command demands active engagement in restoring public trust.

The DIG described the college as a “forge” where operational experience would be refined into command capability.

“You will learn that true authority flows not from rank, but from earned legitimacy. That the most powerful tool in our arsenal is not a weapon, but a listening ear,” he said, stressing that the ultimate goal of operations is “a safer, more cohesive community.”

Lagat urged officers to approach their required concept papers as policy contributions. “Do not study problems, design solutions,” he said, pointing to issues such as climate-linked conflict, hate speech and community-centred policing models.

Closing his address, Lagat reminded officers of the responsibility ahead. “When you walk out of Kiganjo, you will carry a new weight. The weight of a nation's trust.” He then declared, “With great expectation and absolute confidence, I hereby declare the Higher Training Courses 127 through 130 officially commenced.”