Senior police officers may soon be held accountable for the actions of their junior officers if Parliament approves proposed amendments to the National Police Service (NPS) Act.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has called for these changes in response to rising complaints about police misconduct. These include the use of unmarked vehicles, altered number plates, and tactics that hide officers’ identities during operations.
IPOA officials argue that this growing trend of anonymity, especially during protests, undermines their ability to hold the police accountable. The policing Auhtority raised these concerns during a hearing before the National Assembly’s Administration and Internal Security Committee, where they highlighted how this anonymous approach obstructs investigations into police misconduct.
“Police superiors fail to prepare and/or provide operations orders and deployment schedules to the authority. This severely undermines our efforts to hold individual officers accountable,” IPOA Chief Executive Officer Elema Halakhe said.
Halakhe also revealed that IPOA is investigating several cases of enforced disappearances, including the disappearance of Wajir County MCA Yussuf Hussein on September 13 following allegations of police involvement in his disappearance.
Evidence also suggests police complicity in the deaths of Gideon Kioko and Denzel Omondi, who were abducted in July and later found dead.
Members of Parliament voiced frustration over IPOA’s inability to identify specific police units bypassing regulations during recent anti-government protests.
In response, Halakhe explained, “The responsibility of police officers depends on investigations, which are conducted on a case-by-case basis. We cannot generalize, as these cases are at different stages of investigation.”
Homabay Town MP Peter Kaluma pressed for updates on IPOA’s investigations, stressing the continued anguish of families affected by extrajudicial killings and disappearances.
“Do you have proof confirming the involvement of the NPS in these abductions? The status of the investigations is crucial for families seeking justice. Which police unit is responsible for these incidents?” Kaluma asked.
Halakhe cautioned against generalizing blame, stating that IPOA evaluates each case individually. “We have established that, in some cases, special units are involved in the abductions and kidnappings,” he said.
