Tokayev reappoints Yerzhan Sadenov as Kazakhstan's interior minister
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President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reappointed Yerzhan Sadenov as Kazakhstan's interior minister on September 3, 2026. Sadenov has led the ministry since September 2023 and retains the post as the new government is formed after the Kurultai elections.
Key Facts
- President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree on September 3, 2026, reappointing Yerzhan Sadenov as Minister of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan.
- Sadenov has served as interior minister since September 2023, when he was first appointed to the post.
- Sadenov was born in 1968 in East Kazakhstan Region and graduated from East Kazakhstan State University in 1993 and the Karaganda Higher School of the National Security Committee in 1998.
- From 1993 to 2009, Sadenov served in internal affairs bodies of East Kazakhstan Region, rising from senior detective to head of a territorial department directorate.
- In the first half of 2026, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported a 10% decrease in crime in Kazakhstan, or 4,919 fewer crimes compared to the same period last year.
Reappointment Decree
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree on September 3, 2026, reappointing Yerzhan Sadenov as Minister of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan. The decree was announced by the Akorda press service and published on the presidential website. Sadenov has led the ministry since September 2023, when he was first appointed to the post. The reappointment follows the resignation of the previous cabinet on August 28 and the reappointment of Olzhas Bektenov as prime minister on August 31.
Career in Law Enforcement
Sadenov was born in 1968 in East Kazakhstan Region and graduated from East Kazakhstan State University in 1993 and the Karaganda Higher School of the National Security Committee in 1998. He began his service in internal affairs bodies in July 1993 as a detective in the inter-district operational search department of the East Kazakhstan Region police. From 1993 to 2009, he served in East Kazakhstan Region, rising from senior detective to head of a territorial department directorate. He later headed police departments in Ridder and Ust-Kamenogorsk, the anti-drug trafficking department of East Kazakhstan Region police, and served as first deputy head of Mangystau Region police. From 2016 to 2019, he headed the Akmola Region police department, and from April 2019, the Astana police department.
Ministerial Tenure and Priorities
Sadenov became deputy interior minister in January 2022 and was appointed minister in September 2023. He holds the rank of police lieutenant general and has been awarded the Aibyn Order II degree in 2018, Aibyn Order I degree in 2024, and Dank Order I degree in 2026. Under Sadenov, the ministry prioritizes the 'Law and Order' principle, digitalization, and artificial intelligence, with a dedicated department for digitalization and AI created in 2026. In the first half of 2026, the ministry reported a 10% decrease in crime in Kazakhstan, or 4,919 fewer crimes compared to the same period last year. The ministry also focuses on combating internet fraud, drug crime, and organized crime, and ensuring public safety.