Yerzhan Sadenov retains post as Kazakhstan’s interior minister

Sadenov was born in East Kazakhstan region and has spent more than three decades working in Kazakhstan’s law enforcement system.

He began his career in 1993 as an operational officer with the Interdistrict Operational Search Department of the East Kazakhstan Regional Department of Internal Affairs. Over the following years, he held a number of senior positions in criminal investigations and organized crime units, including assignments focused on property crimes, drug trafficking and particularly serious offenses.

Sadenov later served as head of the police departments in Zaisan and Tarbagatay districts, as well as head of the Department for Combating Drug Trafficking in East Kazakhstan. He subsequently headed the police departments of Ridder and Ust-Kamenogorsk.

From 2009 to 2013, Sadenov served as First Deputy Head of the Mangystau Region Department of Internal Affairs. He then held senior positions within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, including head of Department “R” and head of the Department of Internal Affairs on Transport.

In 2016, he was appointed head of the Akmola Region Police Department. From 2019 to 2022, he headed the police department of Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan’s capital at the time.

Sadenov became Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs in January 2022. He was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs in September 2023 and was subsequently reappointed to the position in February 2024.

He graduated from Amanzholov East Kazakhstan State University in 1993.

In 1998, he graduated from the Karaganda Higher School of the National Security Committee of Kazakhstan.

Earlier, Qazinform reported Dauren Kossanov had been reappointed as Minister of Defense by presidential decree.