By CYRUS OMBATI
KENYA: Majority of police cases being forwarded for prosecution in court do not meet the minimum evidentiary threshold to sustain convictions.
A survey conducted early this year established 64 per cent of cases reviewed never met the minimum evidentiary threshold to charge a person with an offence.
The survey by Independent Oversight Policing Authority analysed files on robbery with violence, preparation to commit a felony and theft by servant at Kamukunji, Kilimani, Kariobangi and Huruma police stations in Nairobi. The Baseline Survey on Policing Standards and Gaps in Kenya was launched Wednesday by Energy Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir and blames poor investigations for wrong convictions.
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“The review of all the cases indicates a conviction rate of 25 per cent, which means that one in every four cases ends up in conviction. This raises concern since it reveals both poor quality investigations and challenges for police to determine cases, which are ready for prosecution,” says the report.
The objective of the study was to assess the perception of Kenyans about policing services and the factors affecting policing. Some 203 closed police files were analysed, out of which 62 per cent that touched on robbery with violence showed they never met the minimum evidentiary threshold.
