| Agencyname: | General Service Unit (GSU) |
| Patch: | File:GSU - Uhuru Park.jpg |
| Patchcaption: | General Service Unit police cordon off Uhuru Park to bar opposition from holding their mass protest rally, January 2008. |
| Formedmonthday: | August |
| Formedyear: | 1953 |
| Preceding1: | Emergency Company or Regular Police Reserve |
| Employees: | ≈6000 (2003) |
| Headquarters: | Nairobi, Kenya |
| Chief1name: | Eliud Lagat Saig |
| Chief1position: | Commandant |
| Parentagency: | Kenya Police Service |
The General Service Unit (GSU) is a paramilitary wing (i.e. Police Field Force) in the Kenya Police Service, consisting of highly trained police officers, transported by seven dedicated Cessnas and three Bell helicopters.[1] [2] Having been in existence since 1948, the GSU has fought in a number of conflicts in and around Kenya, including the 1963 – 1969 Shifta War and the 1982 Kenyan coup.[3]
The objectives of the General Service Unit (GSU) of the Kenya Police are explicitly stated to address various aspects of internal security within the republic. Firstly, the GSU aims to handle situations that impact the nation's internal security, encompassing a broad range of potential threats. Secondly, it is designed to function as a dynamic operational force, emphasizing its role in dealing with evolving challenges rather than being relegated to static duties. Additionally, the GSU serves as a reserve force, specifically tasked with managing special operations and civil disorders, offering crucial support when required.
The functions of the GSU are diverse and integral to ensuring the security and stability of Kenya. Firstly, they are responsible for providing security to His Excellency the President and safeguarding state houses and lodges, ensuring the safety of the nation's leadership. Secondly, the GSU extends its security services to selected foreign airlines operating within the country, reinforcing international safety measures. Thirdly, the unit takes charge of protecting vital installations and strategic points, safeguarding critical infrastructure and assets from potential threats.
Moreover, the GSU is equipped to handle situations involving civil disturbances and riotous mobs, employing appropriate measures to maintain order and protect citizens. In addition to their domestic responsibilities, the GSU actively engages in anti-poaching operations, helping preserve Kenya's natural heritage by combating illegal wildlife activities. The unit is also involved in escort duties, ensuring the safe transportation of valuable assets or personnel.
The GSU plays a pivotal role in tackling banditry and cattle rustling, addressing security concerns in rural areas and safeguarding communities from armed criminal activities. Furthermore, the unit takes on the important responsibility of countering terrorism activities and insurgencies, working to prevent and mitigate potential threats to national security.
Initially created as the Emergency Company or Regular Police Reserve in 1948, the GSU began as a unit of 50 men armed with Bren guns carriers and armoured cars and was involved in a number of uprisings including the Mau Mau Uprising before being renamed the General Service Unit in September 1953. The newly designated GSU consisted of 47 European officers and 1,058 Africans divided into 5 regional companies each consisting of a number of 39-man platoons.[4] In 1957, the unit was re-organised and all the companies were brought under one commander, a S. G. Thomson. In 1961, the unit deployed outside Kenya for the first time to deal with civil unrest in Zanzibar, and then from 1963 until 1969 the GSU fought the secessionists during the Shifta War.
During the 1990s, the GSU worked in central Kenya to quell socialist political unrest and demonstrations against the Kenyan government, such as the Saba Saba Day (7 July) celebrations of 1990, where 30 people were killed as the police and General Service Units took action.[5] More recently, in July 2005, troops of the GSU were sent to northern Kenya to seek out those responsible for the deaths of 76 people, 22 of them children, at a school in the area.[6] The GSU helped prevent further friction between feuding Gabra and Borana communities when they were transported to the region by two police and two military helicopters, as well as two ministers from the Kenyan government.[6] Currently, the GSU has around 5,000 paramilitary troops, of which 2000 are the Israeli trained and battle hardened 'Recce group'. It is regulated under chapter seven of the National Police Service Standing Orders.[4]
Originally, GSU members were drawn from the existing ranks of the Kenyan Police force, were from a number of ethnic backgrounds, and were trained in the Kenya Police College and placed on a two-year tour of duty.[4] However, with the increase of Africanisation in 1963, the majority of members were by 1967 from native Kenyan tribes such as the Luo or the Kikuyu[7] who total 5.9 million, equal to about 13% and 7.4 million, equal to about 22% of Kenya's total population, respectively.[8] Most recently, all GSU members have been trained at the GSU-specific Training School in Embakasi and its Field Training Camp in Magadi, on 10-month-long courses, with further 5-month long courses required for promotion.[4] As with various branches of the Kenyan armed forces,[7] the GSU also sends its officers to Great Britain to be trained in such facilities as the Britannia Royal Naval College and Sandhurst.[9]
The GSU is organised in companies each under a company commander. Four of these companies have commanding officers and they are regarded as the 'big four'. These are:[10]
The other 23 companies have Officer Commanding (OC), and are listed in alphabetical order starting from 'A' company to 'Y' company. There is no 'O' company. Each company consists of three platoons and the company headquarters personnel. Originally a platoon consisted of 30 personnel but nowadays a platoon can have as many as 60 members.