Specialized police units within the National Police Service (NPS) are set for a merger in a move aimed at addressing cases of overlapping functions and competition.
A comprehensive report on police reforms has observed that there are challenges of duplication of roles, ambiguities in command as well as lack of accountability and oversight over their operations.
The situation, it states, has created fertile ground for illegal activities and misuse of power by officers.
“In some cases, there has been overreliance on specialized units even where the issues can be handled by General Duty police,” it states.
The Taskforce on police reforms chaired by former Chief Justice David Maraga has recommended that the joint service board of the NPS conduct a thorough review of the existing units to rightsize and streamline.
This, it notes, is to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in the performance of its duties.
“Specialised Units with overlapping functions, expertise, resources or operations should be merged as sections under one existing specialised Unit,” the report reads in part.
Officers from these units who submitted their presentations to the Taskforce are said to have reported low morale and confusion due to this lack of clear systems.
“Some of the specialized Units are seriously under-resourced and feel that they have been neglected by their commanders," it says.
The Taskforce was required to assess and recommend the establishment of clear guidelines on the formation of specialised Units within NPS.
The increase in the number of units with the NPS is informed by the range of crime, security and policing challenges which has continued to evolve over the recent years.
Kenya Police Service (KPS), Administration Police (AP) and DCI all have special units performing different functions.
Under those units, there are other smaller units.
The latest unit to be formed is the all-female Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) which was ripped from the Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU) of AP.
The crew patrols Nairobi’s CBD on foot and by vehicles.
The Inspector General of Police is mandated under Section 10 (h) on the functions and powers of the office holder to organize the police service at the national level into various formations, Units or components.
No unit may be established, varied or abolished, without the authority of the IG.
All these units and other formations are established under Chapter 7 of the Service Standing Orders (SSOs).
SSOs mandate the units to develop their Operations Manual in accordance with the mandate assigned to each by the IG and in accordance with the Constitution and the NPS Act.
The IG also assigns responsibility for the implementation and administration of any function of NPS to a formation, unit or component.
The Maraga team further wants the IG to review the SSOs to ensure clear and objective criteria in the composition, membership, strength, command and accountability of specialized Units.