Police have failed to redeem soiled image

The response and conduct of General Service Unit (GSU) policemen after terrorists attacked Garissa university in April killing 67 people was commendable, giving hope our security services had come of age.They displayed a rare type of professionalism not normally associated with the Kenyan security agencies. Scenes where policemen harass civilians in security operations were missing. But it seems that was an illusion, and it is over.

The history of the police in Kenya is one of violence and human rights abuses in the discharge of their duties. It is a legacy they carried over from colonial times but have been at pains to discard. In an attempt to sanitise the police force, a 2009 National Task Force on Police Reforms culminated in the enactment of the National Police Service Act, National Police Service Commission Act and the National Police Oversight Authority Acts. The rationale behind this was the establishment of a professional Police Service critical to better national security.