Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced sweeping changes in the National Police Sevice in a bid to streamline the force.
According to Murkomen, police reforms have become a focus on accountability, service ethics and restoring public confidence breaking away from outdated colonial
“In the past few years, police reforms have gained significant momentum following the infusion of National Police Service, its objects and functions in the Constitution of Kenya. These milestones have led to institutionalization of various reforms in the service, and this has resolved historical systemic issues, ensuring that policing aligns with our democratic principles and constitutional standards,” Murkomen stated.
“Undoubtedly, the officers have committed themselves to their professional duty and we have a tremendous improvement of policing in our country today because of these continuous reforms. We therefore applaud the personnel that have committed themselves to the constitutional obligation of ensuring highest standard of professionalism and We condole with the families of those officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.”
Murkomen says that in the last ten years, the country has lost over 600 police officers directly in the line duty while working to secure the country, to combat crime and in the enforcement of law and order, including during public protests.
“The strength and sustained growth of our nation would not have been possible without the brave, selfless and dedicated service of our gallant security officers. Their commitment and sacrifice have been instrumental in ensuring the safety and stability we enjoy today,” he added.
“Nevertheless, we continue to face immense challenges in our pursuit of the ideals enshrined in Article 244 of our Constitution. These challenges compel us to relentlessly strive for legal, institutional and constitutional reforms aimed at enhancing the quality and effectiveness of police service.”
Murkomen says police have been operating with key challenges such as the limited operational independence, inadequate resourcing, and increasing cases of police brutality and impunity.
Murkomen has directed the implementation of five policy reform framework in the National Police Service including;
CCTV Surveillance
Murkomen says it shall be mandatory to equip police stations with CCTV surveillance to enhance transparency and accountability.
He says that all the police stations, currently standing at 1,209, shall have CCTV surveillance within the next two years.
“We shall be making proposals to Parliament to enact laws that criminalize tampering with CCTV The surveillance system shall be in the custody of the Officer Commanding Station (OCS), and the said officer shall be required to ensure that the system is always functioning, and in instances of fault, it shall be reported within one hour through the established chain of command. The CCTV shall have an external back-up system,” Murkomen stated.
Digitization of Occurrence Books
Murkomen adds that over the next one year, the government will roll out a digital reporting system.
“This is a reform that had been initiated, and we are now committed to the digitization of occurrence books to ensure all reported incidents can be tracked and be tamper-proof.” he said.
Community Policing Initiatives
Murkomen has directed that every Police Station shall be mandated to adopt and steer community policing models to improve relations with citizens. He says the integration with the local community will lead greater accountability and improved working relations.
Regular audits, evaluations and performance review
Murkomen has directed an immediate establishment of policy framework for conducting independent audits of police practices, procedures, and use of resources to ensure compliance with established policies and identify areas for improvement. Working together with civil society, religious leaders and other stakeholders we shall ensure regular audits and evaluation with awards the best police officers, police stations among Creating systems that evaluate officer performance based not just on enforcement metrics but also on community relations and adherence to requisite ethical standards. This framework shall establish both the criteria for reward and sanction of the respective police officers.
Training and education
The CS has also directed the establishment of continuous professional development (CPDs) training on all officers beginning with the OCS’s who shall be required to undertake minimum training annually on a set of constitutional standards of the National Police Service as shall be developed curriculum.
“This marks the first step in restoring professionalism, discipline, and service excellence across all ranks. To achieve this, we shall work closely with the National Treasury and Parliament to ensure adequate resources are allocated. It is unfortunate that, whenever budget cuts strike, training is often the first casualty,” he added.
We are also forging partnerships with development partners, public benefits organization and other stakeholders to sustain this initiative. In our upcoming police recruitment drives, we shall include a specific cadre of specialized officers to infuse fresh talent, professionalism, and modern policing standards throughout the Service.
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