Report Reveals Why Police Struggle to Provide Effective Security in Kenya

The National Police Service (NPS) lacks adequate infrastructure, equipment and operational resources needed to effectively provide security and maintain law and order, a government taskforce report has revealed.

The National Taskforce on Improvement of the Terms and Conditions of Service and Other Reforms for Members of the National Police Service, Kenya Prisons Service and National Youth Service found that police training institutions and stations across the country face significant infrastructure and resource gaps.

The taskforce, chaired by former Chief Justice David Maraga, said the shortcomings had affected the ability of police officers to receive proper training and effectively discharge their duties.

“This leaves them poorly prepared to train or effectively provide security, and maintain law and order,” the report states.

The report was released to the public on Monday, nearly three years after the taskforce submitted its findings to President William Ruto.

The taskforce identified the NPS as the security agency most affected by underfunding.

It said the service had consistently received inadequate funding despite facing an increasingly complex security environment.

According to the report, Kenya’s security landscape has changed significantly due to developments in the country’s socio-economic and political environment, as well as rapid changes in information and communication technology.

These developments have created new vulnerabilities and security threats that require a well-equipped and adequately funded police service.

“Cattle rustling and banditry in many parts of the country, especially in the North Rift; terrorism and violent extremism; human trafficking; exploitation of new technologies to commit cybercrimes; consumption of second-generation alcohol; drug trafficking, and drug and substance abuse have placed a significant strain on the capacities and capabilities of the NPS,” the report states.

The taskforce said the police had not been adequately facilitated to respond effectively to these emerging threats.

The report identified severe shortages of supplies and equipment as some of the challenges affecting police operations.

It noted that logistical gaps had created serious difficulties for officers working in different parts of the country.

One of the challenges highlighted was the monthly fuel allocation for police vehicles.

The taskforce said the current allocation of 450 litres per vehicle each month was insufficient, particularly in areas with vast geographical coverage and significant security needs.

It cited counties such as Marsabit and Turkana, where the size of the areas officers are expected to cover makes the current fuel allocation inadequate.

The report also raised concerns about the condition of equipment and protective gear issued to police officers.

According to the taskforce, much of the equipment is inadequate, poorly maintained and often in a state of disrepair.

“The equipment and gear currently provided to NPS officers is grossly inadequate, hardly serviced and maintained and mostly in a poor state of repair,” the report states.

The taskforce further found that police training colleges lack adequate physical and operational infrastructure.

Similar challenges were identified at police station level, raising concerns over the working environment for officers and the quality of services they can provide to the public.

The lack of adequate facilities, the taskforce said, compromises police preparedness at a time when officers are expected to deal with increasingly sophisticated forms of crime.

The report recommended increased government investment in police infrastructure, equipment and technology.

The taskforce urged the government to increase funding to the NPS to enable the service to modernise its facilities and equipment.

It also called for improvements in logistics and technology to strengthen the capacity of officers to respond to security threats.

The taskforce further recommended the provision of decent housing for police officers.

It said better housing and working conditions would contribute to improved morale and enable officers to discharge their responsibilities more efficiently and effectively.