Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has directed that all police stations across the country be fitted with CCTV surveillance systems within the next two years. The move is part of sweeping reforms aimed at enhancing transparency, professionalism, and public trust in the police service.
Speaking during the launch of the reforms, Murkomen said every police station will be required to install functional CCTV cameras with live monitoring capabilities, accessible by the Officer Commanding Station (OCS). He emphasized that all footage must be securely backed up to support future investigations.
“No police station will be exempt. The footage will ensure there is clear evidence in cases of misconduct or assault inside the stations,” he said.
To enhance accountability, Murkomen also ordered that all incidents of misconduct within police stations be reported within one hour. Parliament is expected to pass a law making it a criminal offense to tamper with or delete CCTV footage.
As part of the reforms, the Interior CS also announced that all Occurrence Books (OBs) will be digitized, allowing for real-time tracking and verification of reports. This, he said, would reduce tampering and improve transparency in how cases are handled.
“Digitising OBs ensures that every entry is traceable. This will promote integrity in police operations,” he noted.
In a bid to foster better community relations, Murkomen said police officers will be required to work closely with civil society, religious groups, and local communities. These partnerships will be reviewed regularly to ensure adherence to set protocols.
“Community engagement is not optional. It is central to the service delivery we envision,” he said.
To strengthen discipline and professionalism, the CS announced that all OCSs will undergo continuous development training. The courses will cover constitutional rights, professional conduct, and rights-based policing.
“I have directed that training begin immediately, starting with OCSs. We must build a disciplined, effective, and accountable police service,” Murkomen said.
He added that independent audits of police operations would be introduced to measure performance, with top-performing officers and stations receiving public recognition and rewards.
The reforms will be rolled out across all 1,209 police stations in Kenya, with full implementation expected within the next two years.
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