NAIROBI, Kenya — National Communication Centre (NCC) Director General Charles Owino has cautioned Kenyans against demanding blanket accountability from police commanders for actions taken independently by junior officers, warning that such expectations risk undermining effective policing.
Appearing on Citizen TV on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, Owino said the public debate on police accountability has increasingly overlooked the realities of field operations, where officers often make rapid, high-pressure decisions without direct instruction.
“Policing is not like the military,” he explained. “Officers frequently make split-second decisions, and they bear individual responsibility for unlawful actions taken on their own. Command responsibility only applies when a field commander gives explicit operational orders.”
Owino noted that in structured riot-control operations — and in extreme situations such as the attack on Parliament — a field commander may assume full liability if they authorize the use of lethal force and an inquest later finds the action unjustified.
Rasso Calls for Stronger Civic Education and Public Participation
Saku MP Dido Rasso, who appeared alongside Owino, stressed the need for widespread civic education to help citizens understand the limits and obligations that accompany their rights.
He argued that annual human rights reports should guide real reforms by identifying legal gaps and areas requiring policy action.
Rasso urged Parliament to enhance public participation in the legislative process, pushing for community-driven forums similar to U.S.-style town halls.
“Effective legislation must be shaped by citizens. Public input provides the legitimacy every law needs,” he said.
The MP also reaffirmed IPOA’s mandate to hold officers accountable for excessive force.
“If wrongful intent is proven, the responsible officer must face consequences — irrespective of the chaos on the ground,” he said.
Protests ‘Hacked by Politics’
Owino further warned that recent demonstrations were exploited by political actors who allowed criminal elements to infiltrate genuine protests, escalating them beyond economic and tax concerns into unlawful destruction, including the breach of Parliament.
While acknowledging legitimate frustrations among young people, he maintained that civic expression must remain peaceful and free from manipulation.
Owino added that improving public understanding of social, economic and cultural rights would strengthen national cohesion and help communities tackle the root causes of conflict through lawful means.
