Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome has dismissed reports indicating that Chief Justice Martha Koome is his relative.
Addressing the nation minutes after being sworn in, the new police IG said there are no blood relations between him and the CJ.
He said the CJ was married to a man with a similar name as him and that does not in any way mean they are relatives.
"Once in a while, I look at social media when I want to follow the type of gossip going on. Last night there was a talk on social media that Koome will be sworn in by Koome. An interesting conversation but I have no blood relationship with CJ," he said.
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"It is only that she is married to a Koome. I wished CJ to make that clear because Kenyans were asking whether the Inspector General of police and CJ are siblings. But CJ is a role model."
In her speech, CJ Koome thanked the new IG for the clarification.
She said the name Koome is loved among the Meru people because it means one who is clever.
According to the CJ, the name is an equivalent of "Wafula, Onyango, Wafula and Mohamed" in other communities since they are very common the way Koome is common in the Meru community.
IG Koome was sworn into office on Friday morning after being approved by the Senate and National Assemblies.
Prior to his appointment as a police boss, he was a police commandant at Kenya police training college- Kiganjo.
He will be taking over from Noor Gabow who has been serving in an acting capacity.
Gabow took over Hillary Mutyambai who went on terminal leave.
Gabow will now get back to his mandate as deputy inspector general of police.
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