Why cycle of violence persists despite efforts to reform police force

Police officers arrest a man during anti-government protests in Nairobi. [File, Standard]

Acting Police Inspector General Gilbert Masengeli has been in the news for refusing to honour court summons for questioning over the disappearance of three people in Kitengela, Kajiado County. Bob Micheni, Jamil Longton, and Aslam Longton are Kenyans who have been abducted in the last three months. Masengeli's disregard of the law is a reflection of a much broader issue within the police service-a deeply ingrained culture that dismisses accountability and perpetuates a cycle of police brutality in the name of restoring law and order.

Police brutality is generally defined as the use of excessive force by law enforcement officers beyond what is necessary to achieve a lawful purpose. This can include physical violence, harassment, torture, abductions, and extrajudicial killings. Every Kenyan, young or old, has witnessed this. It goes beyond generations and regimes and is especially witnessed during anti-government protests.