MPs Shocked as County Police Commander Operates Without Office

The Administration and Internal Security Committee of the National Assembly on Monday conducted an inspection visit in Nandi County, where Members pledged to address pressing challenges facing the National Police Service (NPS) in the region.

Briefing the Committee, County Police Commander Thomas Ototo highlighted key security concerns, including assault, illicit brews, smuggling of goods, suicides linked to family issues and depression, land invasion, and illegal gold mining.

Lawmakers expressed shock after finding officers working in deplorable conditions. In Chesumei, the Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD) operates without an office, while the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is forced to conduct operations from a six-by-six iron-sheet structure. Police housing in the area was also described as uninhabitable.
“We are facing a huge problem in Chesumei. The County Commander does not even have an office to operate in,” one officer told the MPs.

Mr. Ototo further explained that overlapping sub-county boundaries had contributed to the stagnation of police infrastructure.
“You can find a police station located at the border of two sub-counties, and in the end, no one wants to take responsibility,” he said.

In Tinderet, the MPs were shocked to learn that officers not only use mud houses as police offices but also live in them.

Committee Members described it as “unheard of” for DCI officers to operate from makeshift structures and directed that a comprehensive list of all police stations in Nandi requiring urgent intervention be compiled.

The Committee Chairperson pledged to engage local MPs to prioritize the construction of police stations and ensure officers work and live in dignified conditions.

Other challenges raised by officers included lack of vehicles, insufficient uniforms, limited fuel allocation, low remuneration, insurance and leave allowance delays, frequent transfers, and shortage of personnel.

Currently, Nandi County has six police headquarters, 22 police stations — three of which lack an Officer Commanding Station (OCS) — 22 police posts, and 16 patrol bases.