Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja has warned senior commanders across the country that they will now be held personally accountable for crimes committed by officers under their watch, citing weak supervision and a lack of consequences as key drivers of police misconduct.
Speaking during a meeting with senior commanding officers at the National Police Leadership Academy (NPLA) in Ngong, Kanja said commanders can no longer distance themselves from criminal activity occurring within their jurisdiction.
“Any commander at any level who is found to tolerate goonism or is indecisive in dealing with criminals will be held to account for his or her inaction,” he said.
Among the toughest measures announced was a new directive on deaths in police custody. Kanja instructed that whenever a suspect dies while in custody, the officer in charge of records, the cell sentry and the duty officer must be interdicted immediately, pending investigations into the circumstances of the death. Commanders who consistently fail to produce results would be relieved of their responsibilities and face disciplinary action.
Kanja’s remarks come amid renewed scrutiny of police conduct following the murder of former Africa Institute of Mental and Brain Health director Dr Victoria Mutiso, in which the Directorate of Criminal Investigations has implicated three police officers. He described such cases as both a disgrace to the service and a betrayal of the police oath of office.
“The emergence of these incidents portrays a disconnect in both supervision and accountability, especially at the lower ranks,” he said, adding that senior commanders must take greater responsibility for identifying officers whose conduct falls short of expected standards.
Kanja was firm that the actions of a few would not be allowed to tarnish the wider service. “We are not going to allow a few officers to damage the image of thousands of hardworking police officers who are ready to work and are professionals in the discharge of their duties,” Kanja said.
With Kenya heading into an election period, the IG also directed commanders to dismantle criminal gangs and groups of goons capable of disrupting political activity or intimidating members of the public.
“I further direct that I need to get returns of all goons who’ve been arrested in your respective areas. We must stop this,” he said. He further directed commanders to account for every officer and piece of government equipment under their formations, particularly those assigned to protect VIPs, stressing that no officer, regardless of posting, is above the law.
Deputy Inspector-General of the Administration Police Service, Gilbert Masengeli, echoed Kanja’s remarks, warning that senior officers would themselves face investigation over rising crime levels in their areas of command.
Kanja also flagged concern over delayed police response to public complaints, particularly reports involving land disputes, domestic violence and threats to life, warning that some incidents which later escalated into serious crimes could have been prevented through timely action.
“It is therefore saddening to see that some of the situations we find ourselves in could have been averted through diligent and responsible policing,” he said.
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