- Various factors undermine the work of the Police force in Kenya, such as:
- Use of sophisticated equipment by criminals, which the police are unable to counter.
- Poor and inadequate transport and communication facilities, causing delay in police response to emergencies.
- Incompetence of some police officers due to recruitment and promotion of people with low academic qualifications as a result of nepotism and tribalism.
- Poor remuneration as well as unfavourable working and living conditions.
- Poor methods of investigation due to poor training and lack of forensic facilities, which have led to over-reliance on confessions, which are mostly obtained through trickery and torture.
- Poor relationship between the police and the public, which denies the police the vital information they require.
- Lack of transparency and accountability in the force, particularly when investigating crimes committed by fellow police officers apart from denying ordinary suspects a chance to defend themselves.
- Lack of regular in-service training for the officers in lower cadres, which has frustrated their quest for promotion and lowered their performance in public relations and human rights.
- Political interference, characterised by blind loyalty of some officers to powers outside the service and the fact that certain criminals are given immunity by powerful politicians.
- Lack of an information technology, causing the police to rely on outdated methods of recordkeeping, which culminates in cases of lost files.
- The rise of terrorist activities, characterised by use of crude and indiscriminate methods by terrorists e.g. suicide bombings, which have left police forces all over the world bewildered.
- Corruption, whereby most police officers have been accused of taking bribes.
- High population in some areas, such as slums in the urban centres, which make police operations difficult.
- Frequent road accidents and congestion on roads, which add pressure to the work of the police.
RELATED POSTS
