THERE IS HOPE IN THE POLICE SERVICE, NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT.

I will start this piece by categorically condemning Police brutality as this should not be heard of a modern day Police Service. Having been arrested in the past for no apparent reason, man handled, victimized and even forced out of business by Police officers, I know what it means to be in the hands of rogue officers. It is a nasty experience and all I can dream of is a modern People Centered Police Service. However, it is the blanket condemnation of the whole Police Service that I don’t agree with. Policing Kenyans is not a joke as we are either a law breaking nation or we just made it part of our culture to break the law and all we need is a 24/7 close monitoring by Police Officers in order to observe the law. Our Politicians, Church leaders, senior government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, heads of various parastatals, independent commissions and authorities have also been known to notoriously break the law and walk scot free.

Kenyans have called us all manner of names and have not fallen short of uglier names to pelt at the Police Service in totality. This has been as a result of their personal experiences in the hands of rogue officers. From being charged of offences ‘that they did not commit’ to allegations of being drunk and disorderly, from allegations of rape by officers to those of being roughed up on a Friday evening only to be released at an un receipted cost of a Minimum Ksh 1000, the Public has not run short of complaints against Police brutality and harassment. Some have been physically attacked, maimed, and others have lost jobs after being arrested for what would attract a sober warning from a sober cop but the opposite has in may times happened especially when the fail to ‘buy chai’ for freedom.

Allegations of bhang/dangerous drug implants on innocent members of public upon arrest and consequent arraignment in the courts of law whereas real drug traffickers/peddlers roam freely under officers’ protection have also been heard of.  Our Officers have been accused of a well known routine of doing rounds in bars in the name of patrols while collecting ‘something’ to arresting patrons from bars that fail to comply with the ‘something  business’, the list continues to grow. More accusations of in ability/reluctance  to tame the Bodaboda riders who continue to maim and kill innocent Kenyans to the blunt refusal to tame the rogue Matatu industry that seem to be in bed with most officers, almost every Kenyan has a negative story to tell about his or her experience in the hands of Police Officers. These are officers who are averse to reforms, vetting and are beneficiaries of an old age outdated way of Policing.

Internally, officers have not been spared from the wrath of their counterparts too. From shooting of senior officers by junior officers to juniors shooting their colleagues either in Police Stations, Camps or in bars/beer joints.  Harassment of junior officers by seniors who are accused of ‘eating operation allowances’, arbitrary transfers to operation areas in case of disagreements , bribes for promotion and placement to ‘lucrative areas’ to all historically known ills, the officers’  basket of woes has never  been full. To add salt to injury, problems of housing, Kit shortage, Stone Age work stations to inadequate salaries, the list continues to grow. Officers have also been victims of enemy fire and in return, their children have been left to suffer, wives have been left without their sole bread winners whereas husbands have also lost their wives.  Nobody seems to acknowledge the fact that Police Officers are a product of a society whose morals and values are in question too.

Engineering blunders that result to traffic jams to poorly maintained roads have all seen the blame directed to Police Officers. Release on bail of suspects by the Judiciary has always been blamed on Police Officers. Other government agencies that work hand in hand with Police Officers never receive their share of the bargain when it comes to condemnation when they fail; all is directed to Police Officers.

A closer look at Kenya reveals a society that loves/treasures asking for bribes and giving out of the same to a point of bribing so that their children can be enlisted in the service, trained in colleges where they are ‘hardened’ after nine months of the not so humane training curriculum. This does not consider that the same officers may have been brought up in abusive families, those that have suicidal histories and where violence was a norm. It is expected that some magic would change the officers to be what the society expects. In this case, I would say, garbage in, garbage out. These are the same officers who bribe to be placed in certain departments where it is believed that such departments are lucrative and are the quickest way to return the amount spent for recruitment and possible promotion. This is not exhaustive and can never be an exhaustive list of officers’ woes but all what I can say is that it is never a walk in the park to hear of one’s organization taking the headlines for all the wrong reasons all the time. 

It drains one’s will to hold on and one always has so many un answered questions. It is never easy for those who believe in the rule of law.  Our employers (Members of public/Tax payers) have a right to demand for value for every coin they invest in us but we ought to have a conversation and expectations must be managed.  They have a big role to play in matters Policing and must not board vehicles as excess passengers; they must speak up against drunk driving, over lapping, speeding, mis appropriation of public resources, corruption and all societal ills in the equal measure. They must not get tired of demanding for accountability, Either way, we have to hold on, hoping that one day, all will be well.

What is rarely said is that the Police Service has officers of high integrity, morals , well educated and cultured, who have the interest of the nation at heart and officers who have chosen to remain in the service rather than seek employment elsewhere  and tell a different story, not via main stream media or even social media but through their professional  conduct, observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms, competence  and who strive to promote relationships with the broader society. These are officers who believe in a dignified world class Police Service, are not opposed to scrutiny, strive for justice and accountability. This is the reason why we must tell a story of hope, all is not lost! 

Even in Sodom and Gomorrah, not everyone was engaging in the ills that characterized the day to day life of the inhabitants of the City.