Police watchdog urges IG to provide sufficient meals, allowances for officers deployed to protests » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 25 — The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has called on the Inspector General of Police to allocate sufficient budgetary resources for meals, water, and allowances for officers deployed during public demonstrations.
The recommendation is part of a broader report released Thursday following the Authority’s monitoring of protests held in June and July 2025 across various parts of the country.
The report, which reviewed the National Police Service’s handling of public order during protests, highlighted several shortcomings in preparedness, welfare provision, and accountability.
IPOA Chairperson Ahmed Issack Hassan emphasized that the lack of basic support—such as meals and adequate allowances—undermined the morale and performance of deployed officers, ultimately impacting the effectiveness of crowd control efforts.
“IPOA monitors observed that police officers deployed were not provided with meals during the demonstrations,” the report said in part.
“The Inspector General of Police should allocate a sufficient budget to ensure that meals, water and allowances are provided for police officers deployed to provide security during protests.”
The Authority monitored police operations during four major protest events between June 12 and July 7, including demonstrations triggered by the death of Albert Ojwang’ in police custody, commemorations of victims of the 2024 Anti-Finance Bill (Gen-Z) protests, and Saba Saba Day rallies.
The protests, initially peaceful in most areas, escalated into violent confrontations in several counties following infiltration by goons, looting, and the emergence of armed counter-protesters.
IPOA documented 65 fatalities, 342 civilian injuries, and 171 police officer injuries during the demonstrations as of July 23.
Notably, only 5 of the deaths were reported to IPOA by the police, a statutory requirement under the Sixth Schedule of CAP 84.
“The failure to notify IPOA of deaths undermines independent oversight, violates legal reporting obligations, and signals a worrying culture of non-compliance,” IPOA warned.
Out of the 65 documented fatalities the Authority as part of its investigations has attended 61 autopsies and will attend the remaining when they are scheduled.
The report further criticizes the police for inadequate preparedness, inconsistent application of the Public Order Act, and the deployment of anonymized officers and vehicles — which obstructs accountability.
It also flagged the lack of first aid provision and weak engagement with protest organizers.
In its recommendations, IPOA urged the Inspector General, in collaboration with the National Assembly and Treasury, to not only improve officer welfare but also strengthen community policing structures as required by Section 96 of the National Police Service Act.
Other recommendations include operationalization and resourcing of county policing authorities under Section 41 of the same Act and Initiation of transparent recruitment to address the deteriorating police-citizen ratio (currently 1:600 against the recommended 1:450).
The Authority stressed the urgent need for increased funding, calling on Parliament and the Treasury to enhance IPOA’s budget to enable county-level service delivery and fulfill its constitutional oversight mandate.
IPOA also acknowledged the Policy Directive No. 1 of 2025 issued by Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen on the use of force and firearms, which reaffirms legal thresholds for police conduct.
“This reiterates he critical importance of compliance to established frameworks on use of force,” IPOA said.
The Authority committed to fast-tracking investigations into police actions during the protests, promising to uphold professionalism, transparency, and accountability as enshrined in Article 244 of the Constitution.