From dismantling teenage gangs in Nairobi’s Eastlands to leading high-risk security operations along Kenya’s coastline, Coast Regional Police Commander Ali Nuno Dubat has built a reputation as one of the National Police Service’s most hard-line and unconventional commanders.
On 7 February 2026, Dubat issued a controversial shoot-to-kill directive targeting the so-called “Panga Boys” and other machete-wielding gangs blamed for a recent surge in violent crime in Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale counties.
The order, delivered publicly and firmly, was widely interpreted as a signal that the police were shifting from routine patrols to intensive security operations aimed at dismantling organised street gangs operating in the region.
For Dubat, however, the directive represents continuity rather than a new approach.
His career spanning more than three decades has been defined by an aggressive posture toward organised crime, direct engagement in field operations and an uncompromising stance on officer accountability.
A veteran officer of the National Police Service (NPS), Dubat was awarded the Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW) on 12 December 2018 in recognition of his service.
Rise to Coast regional command
Dubat was appointed Coast Regional Police Commander in January 2025, after serving as the County Police Commander (CPC) for Kwale.
His elevation placed him in charge of one of the country’s most complex security theatres, covering major tourism hubs, border areas, drug-trafficking corridors and long-standing urban crime hotspots.
In Kwale, his immediate past station, Dubat had focused on counter-terrorism operations and the disruption of local criminal networks, working closely with intelligence and multi-agency teams.
Before returning to field command, he briefly served at the National Police Service Headquarters in early 2024 as Director of Corporate Communications, a rare transition for an officer best known for operational deployments.
Murang’a and Nairobi assignments
Between 2022 and 2023, Dubat served as Murang’a County Police Commander, where he oversaw general security operations and played a central role in the peaceful conduct of the Kandara by-elections in January 2023.
Earlier, in 2016, while holding the rank of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), he was posted to Nairobi as the Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD) for Kayole.
It was during this period that Dubat’s national profile grew sharply.
Colleagues and residents alike came to associate his name with tough public warnings to criminal gangs and visible police operations in some of Nairobi’s most volatile neighbourhoods.
The Gaza Gang crackdown
Dubat gained national prominence for leading the crackdown on the notorious Gaza Gang, which operated in parts of Nairobi’s Eastlands.
Between 2015 and 2017, the gang — largely made up of teenagers and young adults — was linked to a series of robberies and violent attacks that left residents living in fear.
His strategy combined negotiation and force.
In June 2015, Dubat successfully negotiated the surrender of more than 60 gang members, an operation that was publicly hailed as a breakthrough in community-based policing.
At the same time, he made it clear that armed gang members who refused to surrender illegal firearms would be treated as a serious security threat.
That firm stance, coupled with sustained police operations, eventually dismantled the gang’s core leadership.
Kiandutu and Kiambu operations
Dubat later served as Kiambu County Commander and OCPD in Thika, where his attention shifted to the sprawling Kiandutu informal settlement.
He issued repeated ultimatums to criminal groups using the settlement as a base, warning that the area would no longer serve as a safe haven for illegal activity.
Police operations during that period significantly disrupted gang recruitment among youth and weakened several criminal networks operating between Thika and the greater Kiambu area.
An unconventional operational style
Within police circles, Dubat is widely known for what officers describe as “leadership by surprise.”
He has repeatedly relied on undercover tactics to assess the professionalism and integrity of officers under his command.
In February 2025, only weeks after taking over the Coast regional command, Dubat reportedly posed as a crime victim and walked into Kisauni Police Station in civilian clothing.
When officers on duty failed to record his complaint or offer assistance, he revealed his identity and immediately ordered disciplinary action against the station’s leadership.
The incident sent a strong message across the region that internal accountability would be enforced alongside crime-fighting operations.
Security strategy at the Coast
As Coast Regional Commander, Dubat has prioritised multi-agency operations, particularly in areas linked to narcotics trafficking and organised crime.
In March 2025, he oversaw a major operation in Kilifi County that led to the arrest of 13 key suspects and the seizure of various narcotics, marking one of the region’s most significant drug crackdowns in recent years.
His latest directive against machete-wielding gangs in 2026 continues a pattern of highly publicised warnings followed by intensive security sweeps.
According to senior security officials, Dubat believes public communication is part of deterrence — a way of signalling to criminal groups that operations have already been planned and are underway.
A commander shaped by the streets
From Kayole’s narrow alleys to the coastal towns now battling organised street crime, Dubat’s career reflects a consistent preference for operational results over administrative diplomacy.
Supporters within the service argue that his tough approach restores public confidence in areas where residents feel abandoned by the justice system.
Critics, however, caution that strong public directives must be balanced with strict adherence to constitutional policing standards and accountability mechanisms.
As the Coast region grapples with rising gang activity, drug trafficking and youth crime, Ali Nuno Dubat now faces what may be one of the most demanding chapters of his career — testing whether his trademark hard-line style can deliver long-term security in a region facing complex and evolving criminal networks.
