Police bosses harass juniors and ignore public, says report

Senior police officers regularly harass their juniors and fail to act on matters reported by the public, a new report reveals.

It also castigates police bosses citing the manner in which they treat their fellow officers and their contempt for citizens.

While the public say the top police commanders fail to help them, officers in lower cadres accuse them of authorising irregular dismissals and transfers, according to the report by Independent Policing Oversight Authority.

The report covers complaints received between June and December last year by the civilian oversight body.

It identifies the senior officers as provincial police officers, their equivalents in the directorate of criminal investigations, district commanders as well as station commanders.

Others are heads of various directorates at police headquarters.

“Complaints by police officers against their seniors comprised 26 per cent of complaints received by the authority. The complaints were mainly on alleged punitive transfers and irregular dismissals. The bulk of complaints were by civilians at 38 per cent and related to actions or inactions by specific high ranking officers,” reads part of the report.

Staff recruitment

Six per cent comprised delayed investigations and another 27 per cent were on general police conduct at the station level.

This is the first report released by the authority as required by the law.

It further cited discrepancies between the main units of the police, saying that officers in the regular unit had not adjusted to new policing requirements.

“Most of the officers within the Kenya Police are not familiar with the changes in the National Police Service unlike their Administration Police counterparts who seemed well-informed,” the report added.

For the first time, the National Police Service Act brought the KPS and the APS under one command, headed by Inspector General David Kimaiyo.

The authority is however running behind schedule because since inception, only one case against a police officer has been conclusively investigated.
In the report, Ipoa’s chairman Macharia Njeru said the agency would speed up cases once all staff had been recruited.

“The intention of the authority is to recruit and retain high skilled, professional and motivated staff of high integrity who will reflect the face of Kenya and enable Ipoa achieve its mandate,” it added. At present, the Ipoa’s board has hired five investigators, besides engaging a private company to interview, shortlist and interview personnel for senior managerial positions.

“The board may hire former police officers but will have to vet them to ensure they are not involved in violation of human rights before and will be required to sign an affidavit of good conduct,” the report also said.

Police are bracing for a new order in the way they conduct security operations.