IPOA urges Police IG to enforce disciplinary measures against rogue cops

Thursday, 9th March 2023

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) on Wednesday called on the Inspector General of Police to continually enforce disciplinary measures against police officers who do not comply with the law while carrying out their duties.

The authority’s call comes on the back of a survey conducted last year, which looked into recommendations made to the National Police Service over the years.

The survey, conducted across 76 police stations in Nakuru, Mombasa, Isiolo, Meru, Nyeri, Nairobi, Kisumu, Kakamega, and Uasin Gishu, revealed that only 59 percent of IPOA’s recommendations to the police had been effected.

Section 30 of the IPOA Act requires the Authority to produce a performance report on its functions every six months, with details that would include among others, recommendations made to relevant authorities including the NPS.

The authority reiterated the need to implement the recommendations in efforts to ensure gains on police reforms are not watered down or erased all together.

Some of the inadequacies it pointed out still exist within the NPS including fair distribution of finances, regular review of the police training curricula, and provision of adequate resources like stationery.

Section 6(k) of IPOA Act, requires the Authority to make recommendations to the National Police Service or any state organ.

Besides carrying out investigations, IPOA also enhances professionalism within the Service through Inspection of Police Premises, detention facilities, and monitoring of police operations, some of the exercises whose results generated the findings of the survey.