IPOA launches Ksh.13 billion, 5-year plan to strengthen police accountability

The Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) has launched a Ksh.13.1 billion, five-year strategic plan to strengthen police accountability.

But with only 21 per cent funding and presence in just nine regions out of 3,000 police facilities, IPOA admits its success will hinge on adequate resources amid growing demands for justice over police brutality.

In a bid to strengthen accountability among police officers, IPOA has unveiled its third five-year strategic plan, a plan that seeks to enhance police accountability, rebuild public trust, and boost confidence in both IPOA and the National Police Service.

But IPOA, which has faced mounting pressure over rising cases of police brutality, warns that the plan’s success hinges on adequate funding.

At present, the authority operates with only 289 staff out of an approved 1,377, a mere 21 percent of the required workforce tasked with overseeing more than 130,000 police officers nationwide.

These limited personnel are spread across nine regional offices, far below the 3,000 police facilities in 1,450 wards the authority is mandated to cover.

“We have 77 investigators against a need of 400 investigators and that is where the core of public complaints are that we take too long to investigate complaints and prosecute any complaints arising from those investigations,” said Issack Hassan, chairperson of IPOA.

Hassan said other challenges in resolving public complaints include the lack of cooperation from the National Police Service (NPS) and overlapping mandates between IPOA and NPS, issues they plan to address with stakeholders as they have reportedly hampered the effectiveness of investigations into police misconduct.

“We are accused by the public of not doing enough to hold the police accountable, we are accused of being part of the police covering up for them. On the other hand, we continue to face resistance and lack of cooperation from police command and police officers in terms of investigating misconduct and criminal action by police. It is important for police command to embrace transparency and accountability,” said Hassan.

“We will continue to treat IPOA findings and recommendations with the seriousness that they deserve, ensuring where disciplinary action is recommended it is undertaken promptly, fairly and transparently. This is the only way to break the cycle of impunity,” said Dr. Amani Komora, chairperson of the NPSC.

IPOA, which aims to successfully prosecute all valid complaints, says that out of more than 700 case files submitted to the DPP over the years, only about 40 police officers have been convicted.

Chief Justice Martha Koome, who hailed IPOA as a key player in the administration of justice, has called for increased funding to strengthen its mandate.

“When IPOA is underfunded it is the Kenyan people who are denied their constitutional right to seek accountability in policing. Oversight is not an act of hostility towards the police, it is an act of encouragement,” said Koome.

During the event, police were encouraged to embrace technology in dealing with graft, not just from digitizing the occurrence book but also in the expected recruitment exercise for 10,000 police constables.