Central University of Punjab honours Kenyan police officer with highest award
A Kenyan police officer has made history in India after becoming the first international student of African descent to receive the Gold Medal from the Central University of Punjab.
Chief Inspector of Police Isaac Njiraini Muhia, who is currently serving at the Directorate of Corporate Communication, National Police Service Headquarters at Jogoo House, was recently awarded a Gold Medal for attaining first position in order of merit in his Master of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication programme at the Central University of Punjab’s School of Information and Communication Studies.
The Kenyan cop received the award during the university’s graduation ceremony, which was held in Bathinda, Punjab State, India, on 11 March 2025, in a ceremony presided over by India’s president, Droupadi Murmu.
Gold medal
“CI Njiraini is the first international student of African descent to receive the Gold Medal in the history of the Central University of Punjab. This is no mean feat. It has brought honour, glory, and pride to the National Police Service and to Kenya,” the National Police Service said in a statement on Friday, March 21, 2025.
“His thesis focused on health communication, particularly misinformation in prostate cancer. Misinformation affects patient decisions and trust in medical professionals.”
While at the university, Njiraini served as a foreign delegate member in the 16th National Youth Parliament (NYP) of India, where he participated in the NYP’s annual competition, organised to foster democratic values, encourage public speaking, and enhance parliamentary awareness among students.
In the competition, the Central University of Punjab won first place, becoming the National Champion.
Scholarship
Njiraini won a scholarship, which enabled him to travel to the giant Asian country to further his studies.
“The National Police Service (NPS) takes pride in Chief Inspector Isaac Njiraini Muhia as a distinguished trailblazer and an accomplished scholar, embodying the virtues of hard work and dedication to duty. He is a shining example and a mentor to police officers aspiring to pursue academic excellence,” the police statement read in part.
“The knowledge and skills he has acquired will be instrumental in promoting public confidence and trust by conveying informative, accurate, timely, and factual information to build and promote a positive image of the NPS. We wish him well as he steadily rises to the top echelons of the police service,” it added.
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Arnold Ngure
General reporter with a bias for crime reporting, human interest stories and tech.
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