More than 3,600 chiefs’ camps in Kenya will be turned into modern police posts in an exercise that will cost at least Sh40 billion. It will cost at least Sh2 million to equip each of the posts with a cell, armoury, report office and other amenities.
Further, all the country’s 1,520 wards will have police stations to be manned by an Officer Commanding Station (OCS), while the current constituencies will also have police divisions to be served by sub-county police commanders formerly known as OCPDs as part of efforts to devolve services across Kenya.
Already all Administration Police Service camps at chiefs’ offices and those not near police stations are being transformed into police posts, following the President’s September 13 directive to merge police units. More than 300 new OCPDs are set to be unveiled this month .
The new changes started with the change of the command structure, with the collapse of parallel commanders for the APS, Kenya Police Service (KPS) and Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). The parallel commanders were all of the same rank, making overall command challenging. Police headquarters released a new station alignment document on Wednesday showing the affected stations and camps. It shows most police stations or posts are on private land, thus the government will spend much in acquiring the parcels.
Other structures, which are on road reserves, will be closed down. For instance, the document says, there will be a new police division and station to be established at Villa in Mukuru slums. “Establish a police station at Kwa Njenga ward and land needs to be acquired for the same. Kwa Njenga police post is on private land and is four kilometres from Villa Police Post,” reads the document. “Establish a Police Division at Dandora Police Station. Canaan AP camp to be closed since it is located on private land and the area can be adequately policed by Dandora police station.”
It means that if you walk into a chief’s camp, you will find all government services there.
The chief will be present and if your case needs police attention, an officer in charge of a post or patrol base will attend to you.
The camps will have a holding cell and will handle all cases professionally. “If a chief needs the police for an operation, the Officer Commanding Police Post (OCPP) will be on the ground with him,” said an official who has seen the plans. This too will apply to the County Commissioners and sub-County Commissioners.
Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho said the cost of implementing these changes is not an issue because it is a process and no
