DCI to spend Sh38.5 billion in revamping operations

 Director of Criminal Investigations Ndegwa Muhoro. (Photo: Felix Kavii, Standard)

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) plans to spend a staggering Sh38.5 billion in revamping its operations in the next three years.

This will among others see its work force increased from current 5,436 to 10,500 as it seeks to expand its services to all counties.

A new 2015-2020 Strategic plan launched in Nairobi says the focus will be on four main areas including building institutional capacity, strengthening crime management, cooperating locally and internationally and establishing robust processes and systems.

DCI is established under the 2010 Constitution with the main mandate being detection, prevention and investigation of crime.

DCI Ndegwa Muhoro said the identified strategies will be rolled out to the lowest commands where specific plans will be developed.

“The plan will be reviewed from time to time with a view to making it dynamic, relevant and more client focused,” he said.

Among the proposed changes include new ranks and designations to include the “detective title” as part of the branding.

The new names to be adopted in the period include Director General (DCI), with an equivalent of the rank of the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Deputy Director General (Senior Assistant Inspector General of Police), Director (AIG), Assistant Director (CP), Senior Superintendent Detective, Superintendent Detective, Assistant Superintendent Detective, Chief Detective Inspector, Detective Inspector of police, Senior Detective Sergeant, Detective Sergeant, Detective Corporal and Detective Constable.

The inspectorate plans to spend Sh14.2 million in training and developing specialised investigative capacity, Sh1.6 billion in completion of the construction of a forensic laboratory, Sh4 billion in equipping it and Sh2 billion in devolving forensic services to counties and sub counties.

According to the plan, Sh4 billion will be used in providing comprehensive medical cover and life insurance policy for the personnel, Sh20 million to provide guidance and counseling services and Sh4 billion in acquisition of modern security equipment and ICT solutions.

The process of mainstreaming human rights issues in the operations and planning will spend Sh28 million, while gender and disability issues will be addressed with Sh8.4 million each during the period.

Development of the DCI website and Internet has a Sh22 million allocation while implementation of unified communication system, command and control centre at the inspectorate will take Sh20 million.

The plan says development of customized citizen’s delivery charter will take Sh17.5 million, establishment of a Public Relations office will require Sh17 million while development of national criminal intelligence model will consume Sh19 million by 2020.

Sh200 million will go towards integration of security systems with national and international law enforcement agencies while use of biometric control system will need Sh151 million.

The plan says there is high staff turnover, inadequate resources, limitations in the priorities of development partners, inadequate investigations capacity, lack of a centralized crime and criminals’ data, inadequate number of professionals in forensics, weak organizational culture, non-adherence to professional ethics and rapid development of ICTs and persistent cyber threats which have been identified as main threats.

The money to be used in the plan will be realized from the government and other development partners. Interior CS Joseph Nkaissery and Inspector General of police Joseph Boinnet attended the event.