Senior Police Commander Lazarus Opicho Dies After Illness

Senior Assistant Inspector General of Police Lazarus Opicho, one of the senior officers entrusted with protecting Kenya’s key government installations and VIPs, has died.

Opicho died on Monday night, September 28, 2026, while receiving treatment at Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, according to reports from colleagues and people who knew him.

He was the serving Commandant of the Security of Government Buildings (SGB) and VIP Protection Unit in the Administration Police Service.

His death has drawn tributes from the National Police Service and the Judiciary, with Chief Justice Martha Koome highlighting his role in building the Judiciary’s dedicated police security structure.

From Judiciary security to VIP protection

Opicho occupied several senior positions during a long career in the National Police Service.

One of his most significant assignments came in 2021, when he became the founding head of the Judiciary Police Unit.

The unit was established to provide dedicated security for judicial officers, Judiciary staff, court users and court facilities across the country.

Koome said Opicho helped lay the foundations of the new unit at a time when the Judiciary was developing a more coordinated approach to its security needs.

“Mr. Opicho occupies a special place in the institutional history of the Judiciary,” Koome said in a condolence message on Tuesday.

She described his contribution as part of the work that strengthened the security framework around the courts and those who work in them.

“We shall remember him for his commitment to duty, his professionalism and the contribution he made to strengthening the security architecture of the Judiciary,” she said.

His final command

Opicho later moved from the Judiciary Police Unit to the Security of Government Buildings and VIP Protection Unit.

He took over as commandant in August 2024 following changes within the Administration Police Service.

The unit is responsible for specialised protection duties, including security around government installations and the protection of senior officials and other designated VIPs.

In 2025, Opicho was promoted from Assistant Inspector General of Police to Senior Assistant Inspector General of Police, while retaining command of the SGB and VIP Protection Unit.

Records from the Administration Police Service confirm the promotion and his continued leadership of the unit.

He also held the Head of State Commendation (HSC) and a qualification from the National Defence College.

IG Kanja leads tributes

Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja joined those mourning the veteran officer.

Kanja described Opicho as a dedicated and honest public servant whose contribution to the National Police Service would be missed.

The tributes reflect the breadth of Opicho’s career, which took him through a number of security and investigative assignments before he reached the senior ranks of the police service.

He also served at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he was involved in security and investigations.

A career that also drew public attention

Opicho's career was not without moments of public scrutiny.

In 2024, while serving in the Judiciary security command, he was summoned before the High Court after contacting the driver and bodyguard of Justice Lawrence Mugambi to establish the judge’s whereabouts.

The incident came after the fatal shooting of a judicial officer at Makadara Law Courts, which had heightened security concerns around members of the Judiciary.

Opicho told the court that he had contacted the officers because he was concerned about the judge's safety.

“After the Makadara Law Court shooting incident, I found it prudent to personally call the police assigned to the judge for a briefing,” he said at the time.

He later apologised to Justice Mugambi and assured the court that the incident would not be repeated.

The episode formed part of a difficult period for security agencies and the Judiciary, but it did not define Opicho's entire career.

His longer record included senior command responsibilities in some of the country's most sensitive security units.

A senior officer remembered for institution-building

For the Judiciary, his most lasting contribution may be the structure he helped establish in 2021.

For the National Police Service, he leaves behind a career that progressed from operational and investigative assignments to senior command.

Kanja described him as an exemplary servant, while Koome said he devoted many years to protecting public institutions and the people working in them.

His death leaves the police service mourning a senior commander who spent his final years overseeing one of its most sensitive protection assignments.

Details of funeral arrangements and the cause of death had not been publicly disclosed by the time of publication.

About the Author

Maureen Onyango is a journalist passionate about storytelling, life coaching and spiritual lessons. She studied at the Kenya Institute of Management and enjoys telling stories that inform, inspire and empower communities.