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Kenya Police

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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.

Kenya Police Service[1]
Polisi wa Kenya
Askaris
The Kenya Police patch.
The Kenya Police patch.
Flag of the Kenya Police
Flag of the Kenya Police
Common nameKenya Police
Karau/Polisi
AbbreviationK. P. S
MottoUtumishi kwa Wote
(English: "Service to All")
Agency overview
Formed1906[2]
DissolvedN/A
Employeesapprox. 101,000=[3][4][5]
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionKEN
Map of Kenya Police Service[1]'s jurisdiction
Size581,309 square kilometres (224,445 sq mi)
Population47,564,000 Kenya
Primary governing bodyKenya
Secondary governing bodyIPOA
General nature
Operational structure
Overseen byKenya police service commission
HeadquartersVigilance House, Harambee Ave, Nairobi
Police Officers80,000 (approx)[3][4]
Agency executive
Parent agencyNational Police Service
Units
List
  • • Airports Police Unit
  • • Dog Unit(K9 Unit)
  • • Diplomatic Police Unit
  • • General Service Unit (GSU)
  • • Marine Police Unit
  • • Police College
  • • Presidential Escort Unit
  • • Railway Police Unit
  • • Tourist Police Unit
  • • Traffic Police Unit
CountiesCounties of Kenya
Facilities
AirbasesWilson Airport
Mil Mi-17, MBB Bo 105 Cessnas15
Website
kenyapolice.go.ke
Kenya Police Officer on traffic duties in Nairobi City.

Administration Police Service is commanded through a hierarchy separate from that of the Kenya Police[7] For other state security bodies see Law enforcement in Kenya. Recruitment to the police service is done on yearly basis.[8]

History

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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.[9]

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.[9]

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

Structure

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General

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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

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The Kenya Police formations/Units[10] 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.
  4. Traffic Police Department: It is headed by a Commandant from its Nairobi offices.
  6. Kenya Police College: It is headed by a Commandant from its headquarters at Kiganjo in Nyeri County.
  10. Kenya Police Air Wing: It is headed by a Commandant from its Nairobi headquarters.
  11. Presidential Escort Unit: It is headed by Commandant from its Statehouse Nairobi headquarters.
  12. Railways Police: It is headed by a Commandant from its Nairobi headquarters.
  14. Kenya Police Dog Unit: It is headed by a Commandant from its Nairobi headquarters.
  16. Tourist Police Unit: It is headed by a Commandant from its offices in Old Nairobi Area Provincial Police headquarters in Nairobi.
  17. Kenya Airports Police Unit: It is headed by a Commandant from its Nairobi headquarters and three divisions (Nairobi, Eldoret, Moi airports).
  19. Maritime Police Unit: It is headed by a Commanding Officer from its headquarters at Kilindini Harbour in Mombasa .

Police ranks

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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.[11] The order of Kenya Police ranks is as follows:[12]

  1. Inspector-General (formerly Commissioner of Police)
  3. Deputy Inspector-General
  5. Senior Assistant Inspector-General
  7. Assistant Inspector-General
  9. Commissioner of Police
  10. Senior Superintendent
  12. Superintendent
  14. Assistant Superintendent
  16. Chief Inspector
  18. Inspector
  20. Senior Sergeant
  22. Sergeant
  24. Corporal
  26. Constable

Former Kenya Police ranks and Kenya Police – Ranks and Insignia can be found at this reference.[13]

Commissioners of Police & Inspectors-General

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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:[14]

  • Bernard Hinga 1964–1978
  • Ben Gethi 1978–1982
  • Bernard Njinu 1982–1988
  • Phillip Kilonzo 1988–1993
  • Shedrack Kiruki 1993–1996
  • Duncan Wachira 1996–1998
  • Philemon Abong’o 1998–2002[15]
  • Edwin Nyaseda 2002–2003[15]
  • Major General Mohammed Hussein Ali 2004–2009[16]
  • Mathew Kirai Iteere 2009–2012
  • Grace Kaindi 2013-2015
  • Joel Kitili 2015-2018
  • Edward N. Mbugua 2018 to date

The following officers have served as Inspector-General:

Ongoing changes

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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

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

Aircraft

  • 2 Cessna fixed wing aircraft (United States), the latest (2011) being a Cessna 208 Caravan light aircraft
 
Kenya Police Cessna 208 Caravan
  • 1 AS350 B3e Ecureuil helicopter (France) (January 2012), June 2012, crashed, total loss, with 6 fatalities.[20]
 
Kenya Police Eurocopter AS350
 
Kenya Police Mil Mi-17
  • 4 Bell 206 helicopters (United States)
  • 3 AW139 helicopters (Italy), one of which crashed without fatalities resulting in being written off
  • 1 AW119 Koala helicopter (Italy)

Weapons

Vehicles

  • 30 VN-4 Armoured Personnel Carriers (GSU)[21]
  • Troop carrying vehicles
  • Buses
  • Vans
  • Patrol cars – 4 x 4
  • Water Cannons
  • Patrol Cars-saloon
  • Surveillance Vehicles 4 × 4 with radio
  • Motorcycles
  • M/Vs Civil disturbance
  • Break downs/ Recovery Vehicles
  • Fire Engines
  • Water Bowsers
  • Fuel Tankers
  • Boats

Societal impact

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Following concerns about human right abuses by the Kenya Police, efforts are being made to reform the force.[22] 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.[23][24] 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.[25][7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Kenya Police Service". kenyapolice.go.ke.
  2. ^ "The Kenya Police Service Strategic Plan 2003-2007" (PDF). humanrightsinitiative.org. p. 1. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b Interpol Kenya. "FAQ". Interpol. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  4. ^ a b Mukami, Magdalene (24 April 2014). "Record number of Kenya police graduates in April". Aa.com.tr. Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Govt completes police digital registration, 101,288 in service". Nation. 19 March 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Home". National Police Service.
  7. ^ a b Aronson, Samuel L. (2010). "Crime and Development in Kenya: Emerging Trends and the Transnational Implications of Political, Economic, and Social Instability". Inquiries Journal. 2 (9).
  8. ^ richie (22 June 2018). "The Kenya Police Recruitment Dates 2020/2021". Kenyadmission. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  9. ^ a b Sommer, Hans-Martin (November 2007). History of the Police in Kenya 1885–1960 (Report).
  10. ^ "Kenya Police Formation". Kenya Police. Archived from the original on 27 July 2010.
  11. ^ "Number of senior police ranks reduced to boost service". Business Daily Africa. 30 January 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  12. ^ "The National Police Service (Amendment) Bill, 2013". Commission on the Implementation of the Constitution. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  13. ^ "Insignia". 16 August 2007. Archived from the original on 16 August 2007. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  14. ^ "Former Commissioners". Kenya Police. Archived from the original on 31 July 2010.
  15. ^ a b "Former police chief Nyaseda dies in hospital". Daily Nation. 30 December 2008. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  16. ^ "Kibaki moves Ali, names new Kenya police boss". Daily Nation. 8 September 2009. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  17. ^ Ombati, Cyrus. "Kimaiyo to be sworn in Monday". The Standard. Archived from the original on 23 December 2012.
  18. ^ Kimaiyo, David, In the Spirit of Service, Nairobi: Kipchumba Foundation, 2017.
  19. ^ Nguru, Steve. "Constitutions of Kenya: Structure and Composition (Page 3)". ustawi.info.ke. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  20. ^ "Kenya Police Air Wing-becomes-first-African-customer-to-operate-Eurocopter-s-enhanced-AS350B3e-helicopter_860.html". Eurocopter. 12 January 2012. Archived from the original on 23 January 2013.
  21. ^ Fisher Jr, Richard D. (3 February 2016). "Kenya receives 30 Norinco VN4 armoured vehicles". Jane's Information Group. Archived from the original on 5 February 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  22. ^ "kenyapolice.go.ke". Archived from the original on 11 July 2006. Retrieved 18 June 2006.
  23. ^ "Survey: Police are most corrupt in Kenya". United Press International. 18 July 2008. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  24. ^ "Kenya police still most corrupt". BBC News. 21 August 2007. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  25. ^ "Kenya police get pay raise". Daily Nation. 7 July 2010. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
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