NAIROBI, Kenya- Retired Chief Justice David Maraga has released the report of the National Taskforce on Improvement of the Terms and Conditions of Service and Other Reforms for Members of the National Police Service, Kenya Prisons Service and National Youth Service, nearly three years after the taskforce handed it to President William Ruto.
Maraga had given President Ruto seven days to make the report public, warning that he would release it himself if the deadline was not met. On Monday, August 31, 2026, the former Chief Justice published a link to the report, fulfilling the undertaking he had made.
The taskforce was established to examine the legal, policy, administrative, institutional and operational constraints affecting the three services, as well as the welfare, terms and conditions of service of their members.
The report says the taskforce conducted consultations in all 47 counties, received submissions from government institutions and security agencies, engaged members of the three services and conducted visits to facilities across the country.
Taskforce identifies five major problems
The taskforce identified underfunding, endemic corruption, leadership problems, poor human-capital management and structural weaknesses as the major challenges affecting the National Police Service, Kenya Prisons Service and National Youth Service.
It said the problems were not new and had previously been identified by other commissions and taskforces, but remained largely unresolved.
The taskforce also found that reform efforts would have limited impact unless leadership problems within the three services were addressed.
Police recruitment allegedly affected by corruption
The report makes strong findings on corruption in police recruitment.
It says the taskforce received reports from all 47 counties of corruption, cronyism, nepotism, favouritism, tribalism and political influence during recruitment.
According to the report, it received information that police recruitment slots were allegedly being sold for as much as Sh600,000 or more.
It further says some police jobs were allegedly being given to relatives of powerful and politically connected individuals.
The corruption, according to the taskforce, extends beyond recruitment to transfers, deployments, promotions and procurement.
The taskforce also received reports of conflicts of interest involving traffic officers who allegedly owned public service vehicles and vehicle breakdown businesses, as well as alcohol and gambling outlets.
Taskforce wants police roadblocks abolished
Traffic policing received particular attention in the report.
The taskforce says police roadblocks were described during its consultations in the 47 counties as “corruption toll stations.”
It consequently recommended restructuring the Traffic Police Unit into a Traffic Management Unit that would be smaller, better trained and more reliant on technology.
The proposed system would use technology to detect traffic offences and process fines electronically.
The taskforce also recommended abolishing police roadblocks and replacing them with mobile patrol units.
Fresh vetting of senior police officers proposed
The taskforce found that the National Police Service lacked competent leadership with the strategic vision and commitment required to implement reforms.
It noted that although many of the legal frameworks needed for professional policing were already in place, they were not being properly implemented.
The report recommends fresh vetting by an independent panel of all police officers from the rank of Senior Superintendent of Police and above.
It also recommends restoring open, transparent and competitive recruitment for the Inspector-General, Deputy Inspectors-General and Director of Criminal Investigations.
The taskforce said the requirement for competitive recruitment of senior police leadership had been removed through the Security Laws (Miscellaneous Amendment) Act of 2014.
Police recruitment qualification to rise to C-
The report recommends raising the minimum academic qualification for recruitment into the National Police Service to KCSE grade C-.
For marginalised areas, it proposes retaining the D+ threshold where there are no applicants with C- or higher.
It also recommends increasing initial police training from nine months to 12 months, with greater emphasis on competency-based training and practical attachments.
The taskforce further proposes limiting operational deployments to six months and requiring that officers generally serve in one county for no more than three years, except those in specialised units.
Promotions to be based on merit
The taskforce says stagnation of junior officers in one rank, sometimes until retirement, has contributed to low morale.
It recommends new grades within existing ranks, including Constable III, II and I; Corporal III, II and I; and Inspector II and I.
Promotions into the new grades would be conducted through an open and competitive process based on merit, taking into account competence, integrity, training, qualifications, skills and experience.
Maraga team recommends changes at NPSC
The report is also critical of the National Police Service Commission.
It says the commission has allowed the police leadership to assume some of its functions and has generally failed to develop policies and measures necessary to discharge its constitutional and statutory responsibilities.
The taskforce therefore recommends that the government consider a negotiated exit or another legally recognised mechanism for the current NPSC commissioners.
Cabinet Secretary accused of micro-managing police
The taskforce says previous Interior Cabinet Secretaries have gone beyond policy formulation and engaged in the “systemic micro-management” of the National Police Service.
It says this has eroded the operational independence of the police.
The report recommends that the Interior Cabinet Secretary develop a Sessional Paper on policing and reforms to guide long-term transformation of the service.
Police Air Wing should return to NPS
The taskforce recommends restoring the National Police Service Air Wing to the exclusive control of the police.
The Air Wing was transferred to the National Air Support Department in 2019 following a presidential directive.
The taskforce says the transfer has made it difficult for the police to access and use its aircraft because it must seek authority from another agency.
It recommends returning the Air Wing to the NPS while requiring strict compliance with Kenya Civil Aviation Authority standards.
Internal Affairs Unit needs more independence
The report proposes amendments to strengthen the Internal Affairs Unit.
It recommends competitive recruitment of the IAU director, secure tenure, a clearly defined mandate and decentralisation of the unit.
It also proposes that the IAU focus on disciplinary and professional matters, while criminal investigations remain within the mandate of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority.
Prisons operating at more than double capacity
The taskforce found severe overcrowding in Kenya’s prisons.
It says prison facilities have a combined capacity of about 29,000 inmates but are often required to accommodate more than 60,000.
The report says some facilities lack adequate sanitation and ablution facilities, with inmates in some cases being forced to use buckets in poorly ventilated dormitories.
It also found poor housing conditions for prison officers, with some officers and their families living in mud houses, dilapidated buildings, tents and makeshift structures.
Kenya Prisons Service faces 40 per cent funding deficit
The taskforce says the Kenya Prisons Service has recorded an average annual funding deficit of approximately 40 per cent since 2008.
It also found that the service had no modernisation plan comparable to that of the National Police Service.
The report recommends increased funding, modernisation of prison facilities and equipment, better technology and improved housing for officers.
Corruption also entrenched in prisons
The taskforce says corruption in the Kenya Prisons Service affects recruitment, promotions, deployment, transfers, procurement and the issuance of stores.
It received reports of nepotism in recruitment, including cases where family members were employed and served together in the same station.
The report also records allegations of collusion between rogue prison officers and inmates in phone scams, fraud, petty trade and drug trafficking conducted from prisons.
The taskforce recommends fresh vetting by an independent panel of prison officers from the rank of Senior Superintendent of Prisons and above, except the serving Commissioner General.
Prisons laws described as outdated
The taskforce says the Kenya Prisons Service continues to operate under laws and regulations dating back decades.
It specifically cites the Prisons Act of 1977, Borstal Institutions Act of 1963 and Kenya Prisons Service Standing Orders of 1979.
It recommends a complete overhaul of the laws and regulations within one year.
The taskforce also recommends making the Commissioner General of Prisons the Accounting Officer of the service instead of leaving that responsibility with the Principal Secretary responsible for correctional services.
NYS also hit by corruption and funding problems
The report says the National Youth Service has struggled with funding, limiting its ability to fulfil its mandate of training and equipping young people with vocational and technical skills.
The taskforce recommends giving NYS seed funding for income-generating projects to reduce its dependence on the national budget.
It also says the corruption scandals of 2015 and 2018 resulted in the massive loss of public resources and found that systemic corruption continued to affect NYS farms and equipment.
The report proposes competitive recruitment of NYS Council members and senior management, including the Director-General and two Deputy Directors-General.
NYS recruits should have KCSE certificate
The taskforce recommends that NYS recruits should have at least a KCSE certificate.
It also proposes that NYS officers be recruited from among ex-servicemen and women.
The report further recommends recognising servicemen and women in law so they can receive benefits including insurance and other entitlements.
40 per cent salary increase recommended
One of the most significant recommendations concerns salaries.
The taskforce recommends creation of a Disciplined and Security Services Sector comprising the Kenya Defence Forces, National Intelligence Service, National Police Service, Kenya Prisons Service and National Youth Service.
It proposes harmonising remuneration across the sector while maintaining the existing hierarchy.
Under the recommended structure, the basic salary of members of the three services would increase by 40 per cent at the lowest constable level, with the increase reducing progressively to about three per cent at the highest rank.
The proposed salary structure was to be implemented in three phases beginning July 1, 2024.
The taskforce also recommends that allowances be automated and paid directly into officers’ bank accounts, with cash payments prohibited.
Bribes and sexual favours allegedly sought for promotions
The report says the taskforce received complaints that officers were being asked for bribes and/or sexual favours in exchange for deployments, transfers, training and promotions.
To address the problem, it recommends automation of recruitment, deployment, transfers and promotions.
It proposes online applications for recruitment followed by personal interviews at designated recruitment centres.
Police and prisons HR systems to be digitised
The taskforce found that the three services had not fully automated their human-resource processes, creating loopholes for manipulation and corruption.
It recommends full digitisation of HR services, including recruitment, transfers, deployments, promotions and allowance payments.
It also recommends that non-operational HR functions be handled by trained and qualified HR professionals rather than uniformed officers without specialised HR training.
Mental health included in proposed police medical reforms
The taskforce found serious problems with the medical insurance arrangements for members of the National Police Service and Kenya Prisons Service.
It recommends that future insurance arrangements provide adequate and accessible services, particularly in remote areas.
It further recommends comprehensive coverage for mental health and psychosocial care.
National forensic laboratory proposed
The taskforce recommends legislation establishing a National Forensic Laboratory under the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
The proposed laboratory would be adequately funded and regulated and would also be available to other institutions in the criminal justice system.
The report says the regulatory framework should include mechanisms to protect the integrity of forensic processes and results.
Taskforce wants police to revert to old uniform
The report also makes a recommendation on police uniforms.
It proposes that the National Police Service revert to its old uniform for three years, during which a process of designing a new uniform should begin.
The proposed National Uniforms Committee would set standards, colours and quality requirements for uniforms used by the disciplined and security services.
Government urged to secure security institutions’ land
The taskforce received complaints about encroachment and alleged grabbing of land belonging to the three services.
It recommends that the Interior Ministry establish a committee within six months to conduct an inventory of institutional land belonging to the NPS, KPS and NYS and ensure the properties are properly titled.
The taskforce concluded that addressing the identified challenges would provide the basis for transforming the three services.
The report was submitted to President Ruto on November 16, 2023, after the taskforce conducted its nationwide consultations and institutional review.
Maraga’s publication now makes the taskforce’s findings and recommendations publicly accessible after his seven-day demand to President Ruto expired without the report being released by the government.
