The Kenya Police Service has once again emerged as the most complained-about arm of the National Police Service.
Data from the Internal Affairs Unit shows that in 2024, more than three out of every four complaints against police officers were directed at KPS officers. That points to systemic weaknesses in the service that interacts most with the public.
The majority of the complaints involved inaction, such as officers failing to act when citizens needed help. Many others described harassment, bribery, intimidation and extortion. A worrying number also spoke of unlawful detention, threats to life, assault and negligence.
These are not minor infractions; they go to the heart of why people fear, rather than trust, their police officers.
The breakdown in trust worsened after repeated deadly confrontations between police and demonstrators during the Gen Z protests. Civil society groups flagged 2024 as one of the deadliest years for police brutality.
Yet, surprisingly, the IAU report recorded only a single case of excessive force and no deaths linked to police action. That sharp contrast between public memory and official record is damaging. It feeds the belief that accountability remains elusive.
Kenya has been talking about police reform for decades. But talk will no longer suffice. Accountability must be real and visible. Oversight agencies cannot stop at collecting complaints; they must ensure that officers who break the law face justice.
Quote of the Day: “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” —British author JRR Tolkien (‘The Hobbit’, ‘The Lord of the Rings’) died on September 2, 1973.
