Kenya Police Service [1] Polisi wa Kenya Askaris | |
---|---|
Common name | Kenya Police Karau/Polisi |
Abbreviation | K. P. S |
Motto | Utumishi kwa Wote (English: "Service to All") |
Agency overview | |
Formed | 1906 [2] |
Dissolved | N/A |
Employees | approx. 101,000= [3] [4] [5] |
Jurisdictional structure | |
Operations jurisdiction | KEN |
Map of Kenya Police Service [6] 's jurisdiction | |
Size | 581,309 square kilometres (224,445 sq mi) |
Population | 47,564,000 Kenya |
Primary governing body | Kenya |
Secondary governing body | IPOA |
General nature | |
Operational structure | |
Overseen by | Kenya police service commission |
Headquarters | Vigilance House, Harambee Ave, Nairobi |
Police Officers | 80,000 (approx) [3] [4] |
Agency executive | |
Parent agency | National Police Service |
Units | List
|
Counties | Counties of Kenya |
Facilities | |
Airbases | Wilson Airport |
Mil Mi-17, MBB Bo 105 Cessnas | 15 |
Website | |
kenyapolice.go.ke |
The Kenya Police Service is a national body in charge of law enforcement in Kenya. It is subordinate to National Police Service which is headed by Inspector General of Police who exercises independent command over the Service. Kenya Police is headed by Deputy Inspector General. Kenya Police is divided into Service Headquarters in Nairobi, Formations, General Duty Commands and Training Institutions.
AdministrationPolice Service is commanded through a hierarchy separate from that of the Kenya Police [8] For other state security bodies see Law enforcement in Kenya. Recruitment to the police service is done on yearly basis. [9]
The Kenya police force was established as a British colonial police force in 1907. From the 1887 to 1902 policing was provided by the East Africa Trading Company. After 1902 the Kenya-Uganda Railway introduced their own police units. [10]
In 1906 the Police Ordinance was established to create a new force in 1907, the Nairobi Mounted Police within the jurisdiction of the East Africa Protectorate. The current force's name came into effect in 1920 with the newly created British Kenya Colony.
The colonial force was made up mainly of British and Indian recruits as senior officers and Africans amongst lower ranks. [10]
Following Kenya's independence, the British officers were replaced with local Kenyan members.
Kenya Police is divided into General Duty and Formations. General Duty comprises components with regions being the largest and police patrol bases being the smallest.
Regional Police Commander is in charge of a Region (formerly Provinces), County Police Commander is in charge of Officers in the County, Sub-County Police Commander Superintends Sub-County (previously called District). Officer Commanding Station (OCS) is in charge of a Police Station in a Ward and oversees all its Police Posts and Patrol Bases (Ward Commander).
The Kenya Police formations/Units [11] are headed by commandants/directors, who hold the rank of Senior Assistant Inspector General, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG)or Commissioner of Police (CP).
These formations are listed as under:
The Kenya Police wear badges of rank on the shoulders (Inspector-General – Inspector) and sleeve (senior sergeant – constable) of their uniform to denote their rank. In line with the ongoing reforms, the uniforms committee is also working on new insignia for the revised rank structure, which will have to be approved by the National Police Service Commission. [12] The order of Kenya Police ranks is as follows: [13]
Former Kenya Police ranks and Kenya Police – Ranks and Insignia can be found at this reference. [14]
From 1906 to 1964 the force was headed by British officers. In 2012, the position of Inspector General was introduced to head the newly created National Police Service. The current Inspector General is Japhet Koome who is the fourth holder of the position.
The following officers have to date served in the capacity of Commissioner of Police: [15]
The following officers have served as Inspector-General:
Following the promulgation of the new Constitution of Kenya on 27 August 2010, as laid down in Chapter 17 Part 4, the Kenyan police forces is undergoing a series of reforms. Hence called The Kenya Police Service, it is now headed by a Deputy Inspector-General and the division of its functions are organised to take into account the devolved structure of government in Kenya.
In the ongoing changes that started in 2018, police operational command was aligned police with existing administrative boundaries to create a unified command as follows:-
1. Regional Police Commander (RPC)
2. County Police Commander (CPC)
3. Sub County Police Commander (SPC)
4. Officer in charge Police Station ( OCS)
The following positions were therefore abolished:-
1. APS Regional Commander
2. KPS Regional Commander
3. DCI Regional Commander
4. County Coordinating Commander
5. KPS County Commander
6. APS County Commander
7. DCI County Commander
8. APS Sub County Commander
9. DCI Sub County Commander
10. KPS Officer Commanding Police Divisions
11.District Administration Police Commander
Consequently, the number of commanders were reduced from 168 to 56 Commanders.
The equipment of the Kenya Police and General Service Unit (GSU), a paramilitary wing of the Kenyan Police, comprises:
Aircraft
Weapons
Vehicles
Following a history of human right abuses by the Kenya Police, efforts are being made to reform the force. [23] Kenyan policemen are poorly paid and have to make use with archaic housing that has not been expanded or renovated since the 1970s. This has made them very susceptible to corruption and crime. Extortion and bribery are known practices and the Kenyan people rank the police among the most corrupt bodies in the country. [24] [25] In July 2010 the Minister, George Saitoti, announced a 28% pay increase for junior officers and a 25% pay increase for senior officers. This reform means that the most junior officer, a police constable, shall receive KSh.21,000/= per month including allowances. [26] [8]
The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) are the armed forces of the Republic of Kenya. They are made up of the Kenya Army, Kenya Navy, and Kenya Air Force. The current KDF was established, and its composition stipulated, in Article 241 of the 2010 Constitution of Kenya; it is governed by the KDF Act of 2012. Its main mission is the defence and protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kenya, recruitment to the KDF is done on yearly basis. The President of Kenya is the commander-in-chief of the KDF, and the Chief of Defence Forces is the highest-ranking military officer, and the principal military adviser to the President of Kenya.
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Superintendent (Supt) is a rank in the British police and in most English-speaking Commonwealth nations. In many Commonwealth countries, the full version is superintendent of police (SP). The rank is also used in most British Overseas Territories and in many former British colonies. In some countries, such as Italy, the rank of superintendent is a lower rank.
The Administration Police Service (APS) is a paramilitary security organization and is a branch of the Republic of Kenya's National Police Service.
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