Tokayev decree reclassifies presidential special forces as 'other troops'

September 24, 2026 at 09:00 AM2 min

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Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed decree No. 1472 amending the statute of the State Guard Service (SGO), reclassifying its Special Forces from a 'military formation' to 'other troops and military formations'. The decree took effect upon signing and is the fifth revision of the statute since February 2024. The change aligns the presidential special forces with the legal framework governing the National Guard and the KNB Border Service.

Key Facts

Decree No. 1472 was signed by President Tokayev and entered into force on the day of signing.
The Special Forces of the State Guard Service are now classified as 'other troops and military formations' under Article 26 of the Law on Defense and the Armed Forces.
The decree is the fifth amendment to the SGO statute since February 2024 and the second in 2026, following decree No. 1337 of July 1.
The SGO receives a direct mandate to participate in state policy on artificial intelligence and to develop or deploy AI models and platform software.
Polygraph and medical-psychophysiological screening now explicitly extends to 'other individuals admitted to serve protected persons and protected facilities'.

Legal Reclassification

The previous statute defined the Special Forces merely as a 'military formation'. The new wording places them among 'other troops and military formations', a category defined by Article 26 of the Law on Defense and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan. This category includes military structures not part of the Armed Forces under the Ministry of Defense but subordinate to other state bodies, such as the National Guard and the Border Service of the National Security Committee. The decree itself does not name the National Guard or border troops directly; the alignment is based on their shared legislative formula. The change removes ambiguity about whether general norms on military service, rank assignment, mobilization, and military regulations apply to the presidential special forces.

Other Amendments

The SGO gains a direct mandate to participate in the implementation of state policy in the field of artificial intelligence and to develop or deploy AI models and platform software within its competence. In clause 1 of the statute, the phrase 'security of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, other protected persons and objects' is replaced by the impersonal 'security of protected persons and objects'. The section on tasks (clause 13), which the decree does not amend, retains the direct mention of the president, creating an internal discrepancy in the text. Polygraph and medical-psychophysiological checks now explicitly cover not only employees and candidates but also 'other individuals admitted to serve protected persons and protected facilities'.