The Nyanza Regional Police Commander Noah Mwivanda was Tuesday recalled a week after he had reported.
Mwivanda was replaced by the director of Welfare Directorate Manasse Musyoka, officials aware said.
Musyoka who is a former commander for Central and Coast regions reported on Tuesday and was set to take over Wednesday, April 5.
Mwivanda had reported on March 27 and oversaw an operation to contain protests in the region, which turned deadly leaving at least two people including a police officer dead.
Insiders said there were concerns about how he handled the protests at large hence the move to recall him to police headquarters.
He had replaced Karanja Muiruri who is now the deputy director of logistics at police headquarters.
Muiruri was recalled after commanders at the police headquarters said they were not impressed with the way he handled protests in the area.
The changes are seen as part of those being implemented by Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome who had on Saturday, April 1 named Nyale Munga as the new director of operations swapping positions with Boniface Maingi.
Koome also transferred five Nairobi Sub-County Police Commanders (SCPC) commonly referred to as OCPDs.
Those affected are Kilimani, Njiru (Kayole), Embakasi, Dagoretti and Central commanders.
In other changes, Geoffrey Mayek was named the new Kericho County Police Commander. He replaced Rico Ngare. All Sub-County Police Commanders within Kericho County-Kericho, Kipkelion, Bureti, Sosiot were transferred.
The changes have also seen several Ward Commanders (OCSs) transferred, also as a result of the protests.
Musyoka has been heading the new Welfare Directorate at Jogoo House, the National Police Service headquarters that was created last year to help address trauma in the service at large.
He is not new in the area as he had in the past served in Migori as the county commander.
Whereas some commanders in Nairobi had blamed Muiruri for how he handled the protests saying he was lenient to the protesters others accused Mwivanda of being responsible for the deaths and destruction of property that were witnessed in the area.
Some premises were attacked and looted amid claims the groups behind the same had been hired.
At least three people have been shot dead in the area and a police officer was run over by a vehicle as he escaped from an angry mob.
Mwivanda commanded the operations on Monday, March 27 in the region that left at least one person shot dead in Kisumu and two injured in Migori.
Dozens of police officers were sent to major towns including Kisii, Nyamira and Homa Bay to contain the protests.
The Isebania-Kisii highway was heavily manned by police who dispersed protesters who had blocked it for hours affecting traffic flow.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority said they are investigating the shootings that took place in the area and other parts of the country.
Chairperson Anne Makori said they monitored how the police engaged in public order management in the protests called for by the Azimio la Umoja–One Kenya Coalition Party across the country.
The Authority said it had noted and taken up four matters for investigation which will seek to establish the level of police compliance with Article 244 of the Constitution, the Public Order Act and any other laws related to public management and the use of force.
The matters under investigation include but are not limited to the Kisumu fatal shooting, that of Migori and where police failed to provide security to private property in Nairobi.
“The Authority strongly calls upon the police to abide by the law in exercising their constitutional function of protection of life and property in line with the National Police Service Act, Section 24 (d),” said Makori.
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