Implement police reforms to make service efficient

A task force led by former Chief Justice David Maraga several years ago had been expected to provide the momentum to drive reforms in the police service. However, there has been an apparent reluctance to publicly acknowledge and roll out the recommendations aimed at making the National Police Service (NPS) more effective.

Most likely frustrated about the delay in publishing and executing the comprehensive findings by his team, Mr Maraga has just bypassed the government and released the report for public scrutiny. The people were in the first place entitled to this information, as it was made possible using taxpayers’ funds. Everything is now out there for the people to reflect on what has gone wrong with the police service and what needs to be done to reverse the sorry situation.

Mr Maraga has accused the government of weakening the independence of the NPS. He has also called for the repeal of the 2014 legal amendments (Security Laws Amendment Act) that his team felt stripped the top police bosses of the competitive recruitment safeguards.

According to him, the recommendations were meant to protect the independence of the NPS, including the transparent recruitment of commander and junior officers, but the report was ignored. The former CS says the recent change of the police uniform was just one of the 200 recommendations, but it was not urgent.

He is also concerned about "partisan policing" and violence ahead of next year's General Election, warning of a possible repeat of the 2007post-election violence, in which nearly 1,300 people were slaughtered and 600,000 displaced.

Making the report available has shifted the momentum, leaving the public and civil society to pressure the administration into honouring the constitutional demand for an independent police service.

The recommendations, particularly on transparent recruitment of police chiefs and junior officers and the vetting of recruits, should be fully implemented. This is the best way to weed out rogue officers and address the rampant shortcomings, including corruption in the police service.

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