Kenya: Police reform in Kenya: “A drop in the ocean”

The National Police Service Act (2011) regulates the administration, functions and powers of the IGP and the DIGs, the Kenya Police Service, the Administration Police Service and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations. [...] Some of its important features include: Independent recruitment and appointment, promotions and transfers of members of the National Police Service; Oversight over the disciplinary process and removal of members of the National Police Service; Vetting of all current members of the National Police Service by the Commission12; Oversight of police training to enhance the capacity of police of [...] As the same human rights activist noted: “However I was disappointed with the timeframe allocated for the entire exercise [. ] In my view, the issues raised by the public were so fundamental that the NPSC didn’t verify them beyond reasonable doubt for integrity and administrative capacity of the applicants.”30 In addition to the recruitment of the IGP and DIGs, the NPSC re-opened police recruitmen [...] However, their appointment was challenged by the Prime Minister, who reportedly claimed that it was “unconstitutional.”38 In the case of the recruitment of the new NPSC Commissioners, the willingness of the executive to comply with the law was called into question when the office of the President and Prime Minister initially wrangled over the proposed names to the Commission.39 The inordinate dela [...] STRUCTURAL BARRIERS WITHIN THE POLICE DUAL MANDATES Prior to August 2010, the police force functioned as two institutions created by legislation, the Police Act and the Administration Police Act.45 This provided opportunity for the executive arm of government to exercise political control over the police force which operated as a department under the Office of the President.