Face underlying problems in police force

The bizarre story of a rogue police officer who killed his two bosses reignites tales of brutality and mounting challenges in the country’s armed forces.

The Saturday incident in Naromoru, Nyeri County, in which a police officer also injured a colleague is worth condemning.

The shooting not only depicted the kind of training officers get at police colleges, but raises issues of discipline and work stress within the poorly equipped and remunerated police force.

It may be isolated, but the frequency with which Kenyans are treated to unpleasant news and drama lately from its so-called disciplined officers calls for action and investigation to establish root causes.

Any officer who turns the weapon entrusted to him or her against his bosses and the people they are expected to protect exhibit contempt for the country and the law.

Tales of frustrated constables coming from police headquarters to police posts across the country point to a mounting problem often ignored.

So bad is the situation that two constables sharing one room, one in the traffic department and another on other general duties, live worlds apart. One has two newspapers, bread and a savings account, the other has a fully mortgaged pay-slip and begs to eat.

The worst scenario is when the constable on regular duties has better education, including a degree and more experience, yet he has nothing to show, as his seniors deny him even a chance to visit his family or bury relatives.

This is courting disaster.

Any officer who turns a gun on the head of his boss is guilty of a heinous crime, comparable to a coup against the country and those they are paid to protect.

Kenya Police and the Administration Police must find faster internal means of addressing and redressing discord within their rank and file within the parameters and avenues in Police Force’s disciplinary code.

How can officers win the war against crime with paltry pay, squalid living conditions, internal discord, bad mentoring, poor communication and the myriad incidents of setbacks from juniors? Kenya is at a critical moment, heading towards a General Election. Today, more than ever, we need a motivated, dedicated and disciplined police force.

The trouble within the force needs concerted effort to resolve. Unlike those in the military, a police constable is a social worker. He has powers almost equivalent of the Commissioner of Police in terms of arrest.

Law enforcement

In any case, enforcement of law is done by constables and other non-commissioned officers. Such an officer is expected to make very fast decisions, say at a crime scene, without consulting superiors.

As the Titus Naikuni-led team tries to restructure the police force, there are talks of professionalism gone to the dogs. What is the background and experience of the officers entrusted with administrative positions? What practical experience have they amassed in their careers? Have they served as OCSs, OCPDs or DCIOs, and do they make competent decisions?

For those in the investigatory wing, how many files have they successfully probed that stood the test during prosecution?

Why are retired officers holding plum positions long after they leave the force, some returning on contracts? On what basis are they re-hired? What examples are they setting to junior officers who joined the force hoping to scale the ranks to such commissioned offices?

The long-awaited police training curriculum will be unveiled today to pave way for recruitment of new police officers.

The curriculum designed by the Kenya Institute of Education officials, police college instructors and policing experts, seconded by the Swedish Government, should be people-friendly, intelligence-driven with lesser emphasis on physical training.

As Internal Security Minister George Saitoti presides over the unveiling of the curriculum, it is paramount for the authorities to remember to take into account the welfare of the force.