A recent Afrobarometer report sheds light on Kenya’s struggles in combating crime compared to its East African counterparts, Tanzania and Uganda.
The comprehensive survey aimed to gauge citizens’ sentiments on various aspects of law enforcement, including police presence, professionalism, corruption, criminal activity, police brutality, and overall police performance.
The outcomes suggest that perceptions of police professionalism are not significantly correlated with police presence, contact during officer-citizen interactions, or other factors.
When evaluating police presence, Uganda scored 70 percent in urban regions and 40 percent in rural areas, slightly outperforming Kenya, which scored 68 percent in urban and 40 percent in rural areas. Tanzania trailed with 55 percent in urban and 14 percent in rural regions.
In terms of police assistance during interactions, Tanzanians expressed greater satisfaction than their Ugandan and Kenyan counterparts. The report highlighted that over three-quarters found it easy to obtain police assistance in Burkina Faso (77%) and Mauritius (76%).
Assessing police professionalism, only 32 percent of respondents across 39 countries believed that police often or always operated professionally, with Tanzania ranking highest in East Africa at 45 percent. Uganda stood at 22 percent, and Kenya lagged behind at 18 percent.
Concerning unjustified stops of drivers, 66 percent of Kenyan respondents claimed this occurred often or always, compared to 44 percent in Uganda and 37 percent in Tanzania.
The report delved into corruption, revealing that 52% of Kenyan respondents admitted to paying bribes to the police for assistance, ranking Kenya in ninth place globally.
Shockingly, the survey highlighted police involvement in criminal activities. Three in 10 Africans (29%) claimed their police often or always engaged in criminal activities, with 38% of Kenyans sharing this belief, compared to 34 percent in Uganda and 11 percent in Tanzania.
The report also assessed government performance in reducing crime. Kenya ranked 10th with a 46 percent approval rating, below the global average. Tanzania secured the second spot with a 74 percent approval rating, while Uganda claimed the eighth position with 57 percent.
Benin led the global ranking with a 77% approval rating, followed by Tanzania, Sierra Leone (63%), Togo (62%), Zambia (60%), Mali (60%), Niger (59%), Uganda, and Mauritania (57%).
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