The United Nations Development Programme has reaffirmed its commitment to support the National Police Service in implementing the Maraga taskforce reform recommendations.
UNDP Governance advisor Anki Dellnas who was accompanied by Leanne MacKay - UNDP Senior Advisor, Governance and Rule of Law, and UNDP consultant Dan Juma met the Inspector General National Police Service Douglas Kanja to discuss strategies for implementing the recommendations.
The recommendations are contained in the Maraga Taskforceon Police, Prison, and National Youth Service Reforms.
Kanja said training of police officers to match modern-day policing is a priority that needs more attention.
Kanja said he is keen on transforming police stations into centres of excellence for police operations, where service delivery to the public is standardized, in addition to digitization of police services.
“With the growing digital world, we need to be in tandem with the situation and this demands much of resources,” he said.
The UNDP team pledged to help the service implement recommendations.
The task force was mandated to identify the constraints on effective service delivery by NPS and KPS was to come up with a report to be used as a work plan for implementation.
The task force was on the improvement of the terms and conditions of service and other reforms for members of police and prisons.
President William Ruto last month revealed that the government will require Sh106 billion to implement the reforms within NPS, KPS and NYS.
Ruto made the remarks during the launch of the launch of the Strategic Framework for Implementation of Reforms in the services. T
The framework provides an integrated approach to transform priorities in a strategic and coordinated manner to ensure coherence among reform institutions.
The National Taskforce on Improvement of the Terms and Conditions of Service and other Reforms for the National Police Service (NPS), Kenya Prisons Service (KPS) and National Youth Service was appointed by Ruto on December 21, 2022.
Pursuant to this, the National Steering Committee chaired by the Internal Security and National Administration PS Raymond Omollo was gazetted on September 13, 2024, and tasked to, among other key deliverables, develop an Implementation framework to guide the reforms process.
Ruto said that the funds will be allocated to address key challenges that faced by the services, career progression, digitisation of records including police OBs and purchase of new equipment.
Out of the money, Sh22 billion will finance improvement in the compensation package for officers while Sh37 billion will go to the upgrading of the hardware and welfare reforms and Sh45 billion is required to implement modernisation of the services.
Ruto said the National Treasury will provide part of the funds while the rest will be catered for by investors.
"We appreciate the considerable financial implications of the full implementation of the changes prescribed by the Maragataskforce. It is estimated that it will cost Sh106 billion to fully actualise these recommendations," he said.
Ruto revealed that the government had procured 1,000 e-vehicles for police officers to enhance e-mobility across the country.
He added that plans were also in place to construct 32,000 houses for the security officers, highlighting how some law enforcement officers often live in deplorable conditions.
"Some of our officers live in houses that are not different from the prisons themselves. That cannot be the case. That's why we extended the housing program to include institutional houses for our military, police, NYS and prisons," he said.
To implement the reforms within the three services, the president said ministries and agencies will oversee the implementation of the reforms in coordination with the National Steering Committee that was recently appointed by Interior CS Kithure Kindiki.
He said any challenges encountered must be resolved without delay through the committee and that public participation must be included in developing policies and any form of Constitutional changes.
"The three services, KPS, and NYS- will be required to complete their modernisation strategies and plans in three months and the treasury is required to ensure funding to implement these reforms," Ruto said.
A national inter-agency team was formed to guide and start the implementation process