Kenya Police Explained

Agencyname:Kenya Police Service[1]
Nativename:Polisi wa Kenya
Nativenamea:Askaris
Commonname:Kenya Police
Karau/Polisi
Abbreviation:K. P. S
Patch:Kenya Police Patch.png
Patchcaption:The Kenya Police patch.
Badgecaption:The Emblem of the Kenya Police.
Flag:Kenya_Police_Flag.gif
Flagcaption:Flag of the Kenya Police
Motto:Utumishi kwa Wote
Mottotranslated:(English: "Service to All")
Formedyear:1906[2]
Dissolved:N/A
Employees:approx. 101,000=[3] [4] [5]
Country:Kenya
Countryabbr:KEN
Map:Kenya location map Copy.png
Sizearea:581309km2
Sizepopulation:47,564,000 Kenya
Governingbody:Kenya
Governingbodyscnd:IPOA
Police:Yes
Oversightbody:Kenya police service commission
Headquarters:Vigilance House, Harambee Ave, Nairobi
Sworntype:Police Officer
Sworn:80,000 (approx)
Chief1name:Inspector General Police
Chief1position:Douglas Kanja, CBS[6]
Parentagency:National Police Service
Officetype:Countie
Officename:Counties of Kenya
Airbases:Wilson Airport
Aircraft1type:Mil Mi-17, MBB Bo 105 Cessna
Aircraft1:15

The Kenya Police Service is a national body in charge of law enforcement in Kenya. It is subordinate to National Police Service which is headed by Inspector General of Police who exercises independent command over the Service. Kenya Police is headed by Deputy Inspector General. Kenya Police is divided into Service Headquarters in Nairobi, Formations, General Duty Commands and Training Institutions.

Administration Police Service is commanded through a hierarchy separate from that of the Kenya Police For other state security bodies see Law enforcement in Kenya. Recruitment to the police service is done on yearly basis.[7]

History

The Kenya police force was established as a British colonial police force in 1907. From the 1887 to 1902 policing was provided by the East Africa Trading Company. After 1902 the Kenya-Uganda Railway introduced their own police units.[8]

In 1906 the Police Ordinance was established to create a new force in 1907, the Nairobi Mounted Police within the jurisdiction of the East Africa Protectorate. The current force's name came into effect in 1920 with the newly created British Kenya Colony.

The colonial force was made up mainly of British and Indian recruits as senior officers and Africans amongst lower ranks.[8]

Following Kenya's independence, the British officers were replaced with local Kenyan members.

Structure

General

Kenya Police is divided into General Duty and Formations. General Duty comprises components with regions being the largest and police patrol bases being the smallest.

Regional Police Commander is in charge of a Region (formerly Provinces), County Police Commander is in charge of Officers in the County, Sub-County Police Commander Superintends Sub-County (previously called District). Officer Commanding Station (OCS) is in charge of a Police Station in a Ward and oversees all its Police Posts and Patrol Bases (Ward Commander).

Formations

The Kenya Police formations/Units[9] are headed by commandants/directors, who hold the rank of Senior Assistant Inspector General, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG)or Commissioner of Police (CP).

These formations are listed as under:

  1. General Service Unit (GSU): both headquarters and training school are in Nairobi ; the Commandant is Douglas Kanja.
  2. Diplomatic Police Unit: It is headed by a Commandant from its Nairobi headquarters.
    1. Traffic Police Department: It is headed by a Commandant from its Nairobi offices.
    2. Kenya Police College

It is headed by a Commandant from its headquarters at Kiganjo in Nyeri County.

        1. Kenya Police Air Wing: It is headed by a Commandant from its Nairobi headquarters.
  2. Presidential Escort Unit: It is headed by Commandant from its Statehouse Nairobi headquarters.
  3. Railways Police: It is headed by a Commandant from its Nairobi headquarters.
    1. Kenya Police Dog Unit: It is headed by a Commandant from its Nairobi headquarters.
    2. Tourist Police Unit: It is headed by a Commandant from its offices in Old Nairobi Area Provincial Police headquarters in Nairobi.
  4. Kenya Airports Police Unit: It is headed by a Commandant from its Nairobi headquarters and three divisions (Nairobi, Eldoret, Moi airports).
    1. Maritime Police Unit: It is headed by a Commanding Officer from its headquarters at Kilindini Harbour in Mombasa .

Police ranks

The Kenya Police wear badges of rank on the shoulders (Inspector-General – Inspector) and sleeve (senior sergeant – constable) of their uniform to denote their rank. In line with the ongoing reforms, the uniforms committee is also working on new insignia for the revised rank structure, which will have to be approved by the National Police Service Commission.[10] The order of Kenya Police ranks is as follows:[11]

  1. Inspector-General (formerly Commissioner of Police) – equivalent to the 2-star general in the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
    1. Deputy Inspector-General – equivalent to the one-star rank -brigadier general in the KDF
    2. Senior Assistant Inspector-General – equivalent to colonel in the KDF.
    3. Assistant Inspector-General – equivalent to the lieutenant colonel in the KDF
    4. Commissioner of Police
  2. Senior Superintendent – equivalent to major in the KDF
    1. Superintendent – equivalent to captain in the KDF
    2. Assistant Superintendent – equivalent to lieutenant in the KDF
    3. Chief Inspector – equivalent to Warrant Officer 1 in the KDF
    4. Inspector – equivalent to Warrant Officer 2 or sergeant major in the KDF
    5. Senior Sergeant – equivalent to senior sergeant in the KDF
    6. Sergeant – equivalent to sergeant in the KDF
    7. Corporal
    8. Constable – equivalent to private in the KDF

Former Kenya Police ranks and Kenya Police – Ranks and Insignia can be found at this reference.[12]

Commissioners of Police & Inspectors-General

From 1906 to 1964 the force was headed by British officers. In 2012, the position of Inspector General was introduced to head the newly created National Police Service. The current Inspector General is Japhet Koome who is the fourth holder of the position.

The following officers have to date served in the capacity of Commissioner of Police:[13]

The following officers have served as Inspector-General:

Ongoing changes

Following the promulgation of the new Constitution of Kenya on 27 August 2010, as laid down in Chapter 17 Part 4, the Kenyan police forces is undergoing a series of reforms. Hence called The Kenya Police Service, it is now headed by a Deputy Inspector-General and the division of its functions are organised to take into account the devolved structure of government in Kenya.

In the ongoing changes that started in 2018, police operational command was aligned police with existing administrative boundaries to create a unified command as follows:-

1. Regional Police Commander (RPC)

2. County Police Commander (CPC)

3. Sub County Police Commander (SPC)

4. Officer in charge Police Station (OCS)

The following positions were therefore abolished:-

1. APS Regional Commander

2. KPS Regional Commander

3. DCI Regional Commander

4. County Coordinating Commander

5. KPS County Commander

6. APS County Commander

7. DCI County Commander

8. APS Sub County Commander

9. DCI Sub County Commander

10. KPS Officer Commanding Police Divisions

11.District Administration Police Commander

Consequently, the number of commanders were reduced from 168 to 56 Commanders.

Equipment

The equipment of the Kenya Police and General Service Unit (GSU), a paramilitary wing of the Kenyan Police, comprises:

Aircraft

Weapons

Vehicles

Societal impact

Following concerns about human right abuses by the Kenya Police, efforts are being made to reform the force.[21] Some Kenyan policemen face challenges with their housing that has not been expanded or renovated since the 1970s. These challenges have resulted to corruption and crime. Extortion and bribery are known practices and the Kenyan people rank the police among the most corrupt bodies in the country.[22] [23] In July 2010, the Minister, George Saitoti, announced a 28% pay increase for junior officers and a 25% pay increase for senior officers. This reform means that the most junior officer, a police constable, shall receive KSh.21,000/= per month including allowances.[24] [25]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Kenya Police Service. kenyapolice.go.ke.
  2. Web site: The Kenya Police Service Strategic Plan 2003-2007 . humanrightsinitiative.org . 21 February 2024 . 1.
  3. Web site: FAQ. Interpol. Interpol Kenya. 13 August 2013. 24 February 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210224182820/http://www.interpol.int/Who-we-are/Member-countries/Kenya. dead.
  4. Web site: Record number of Kenya police graduates in April . Aa.com.tr . 2014-04-24 . 21 February 2024 . Magdalene . Mukami . Anadolu Agency.
  5. Web site: Govt completes police digital registration, 101,288 in service. Nation . 2019-03-19 . 21 February 2024.
  6. Web site: Home . National Police Service.
  7. Web site: richie. 2018-06-22. The Kenya Police Recruitment Dates 2020/2021. 2021-01-22. Kenyadmission. en-US.
  8. History of the Police in Kenya 1885–1960. Hans-Martin . Sommer . November 2007.
  9. Web site: Kenya Police Formation . Kenya Police . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100727204013/http://www.kenyapolice.go.ke/Formations.asp . 27 July 2010 .
  10. News: Number of senior police ranks reduced to boost service. 21 February 2024. Business Daily Africa. 30 January 2013.
  11. Web site: Commission on the Implementation of the Constitution. The National Police Service (Amendment) Bill, 2013. 6 May 2014.
  12. Web site: 2007-08-16. Insignia. 2020-12-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20070816001818/http://www.kenyapolice.go.ke/badges.asp. 16 August 2007.
  13. Web site: Former Commissioners . Kenya Police . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100731053447/http://www.kenyapolice.go.ke/pictorial.asp . 31 July 2010 .
  14. Web site: Daily Nation . 30 December 2008 . Former police chief Nyaseda dies in hospital . 21 February 2024.
  15. Web site: Daily Nation . 8 September 2009 . Kibaki moves Ali, names new Kenya police boss . 21 February 2024.
  16. Web site: Kimaiyo to be sworn in Monday . http://web.archive.org/web/20121223171750/http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000073579&story_title=Kenya-Kimaiyo-to-be-sworn-in-Monday . 23 December 2012 . Cyrus . Ombati . The Standard.
  17. Kimaiyo, David, In the Spirit of Service, Nairobi: Kipchumba Foundation, 2017.
  18. Web site: Constitutions of Kenya: Structure and Composition (Page 3). Steve. Nguru. ustawi.info.ke . 21 February 2024.
  19. Web site: Kenya Police Air Wing-becomes-first-African-customer-to-operate-Eurocopter-s-enhanced-AS350B3e-helicopter_860.html . https://archive.today/20130123013708/http://www.eurocopter.com/site/en/press/Kenya-Police-Air-Wing-becomes-first-African-customer-to-operate-Eurocopter-s-enhanced-AS350B3e-helicopter_860.html . 23 January 2013 . Eurocopter . 12 January 2012.
  20. Web site: Fisher Jr. Richard D.. Kenya receives 30 Norinco VN4 armoured vehicles. Jane's Information Group. 6 March 2016 . http://web.archive.org/web/20160205092231/http://www.janes.com/article/57743/kenya-receives-30-norinco-vn4-armoured-vehicles . 5 February 2016 . 3 February 2016.
  21. Web site: kenyapolice.go.ke. 18 June 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060711211030/http://www.kenyapolice.go.ke/police%20reforms.asp. 11 July 2006. dead.
  22. Web site: Survey: Police are most corrupt in Kenya . United Press International . 18 July 2008 . 21 February 2024.
  23. Web site: Kenya police still most corrupt . BBC News . 21 August 2007 . 21 February 2024.
  24. News: Kenya police get pay raise. Daily Nation . 7 July 2010 . 21 February 2024.
  25. Crime and Development in Kenya: Emerging Trends and the Transnational Implications of Political, Economic, and Social Instability . Inquiries Journal. 2010. 2. 9. Aronson. Samuel L..

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