General Service Unit (Kenya)
| General Service Unit (GSU) | |
|---|---|
General Service Unit police cordon off Uhuru Park to bar opposition from holding their mass protest rally, January 2008. | |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | August, 1953 |
| Preceding agency |
|
| Employees | ≈6000 (2003) |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Nairobi, Kenya |
| Agency executive |
|
| Parent agency | 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. 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.