NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenyans’ trust in the police remains alarmingly low, with fresh research showing that corruption, poor accountability, and political interference continue to undermine law enforcement — even as community policing emerges as a fragile but promising solution.
Two studies — Local Policing Accountability in Kenya (CHRIPS & APCOF, 2014) and Policing and Citizen Trust in Kenya (2024) — have revealed how deeply mistrusted the National Police Service remains and the systemic weaknesses that prevent reform.
The first study, conducted in Eastleigh, Kisii, Kirinyaga, and Mtwapa, found that most Kenyans perceive the police as corrupt, unresponsive, and predatory.
Many citizens avoid reporting crimes altogether, believing that only those who pay bribes will receive attention. “We do not expect service without money,” one respondent said.
Even more striking, 67 per cent of respondents had never heard of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) or the National Police Service Commission (NPSC), both established to enhance accountability.
Researchers concluded that lack of awareness, combined with police hostility and weak institutional support, has left oversight bodies largely ineffective.
The study also revealed that officers themselves lack resources and often resist external scrutiny, compounding the problem.
“Public ignorance about accountability institutions and hostility from the police undermine efforts to build a transparent and accountable force,” the report noted.
The second study, released in 2024 by researchers Mutahi, Höglund, and Elfversson, investigated the role of community policing committees (CPCs) in Karagita (Naivasha) and Kaptembwo (Nakuru).
It found that while over 60 per cent of Kenyans consistently express little or no trust in the police, CPCs sometimes succeed in bridging the gap by fostering cooperation between residents and officers.
In areas where CPCs were functional, residents reported improvements in information-sharing, dispute mediation, and joint crime prevention.
Researchers described this as “contingent trust” — fragile and dependent on individual officers rather than institutions. Transfers, collusion with gangs, or political interference could quickly erode any gains.
Still, the study concluded that CPCs provide a foundation for rebuilding legitimacy in policing, especially in informal settlements where residents are often most vulnerable.
Both reports agree that corruption and impunity remain the biggest obstacles.
They call for stronger citizen awareness campaigns, better resourcing of oversight institutions, harmonisation of police reforms with community needs, and investment in grassroots accountability structures.
“Organised crime, political violence, and everyday insecurity cannot be tackled if police remain an institution feared rather than trusted,” one report warned.
Kenya’s police service has long faced criticism for excessive use of force, extrajudicial killings, and abuse of power.
With the country ranked 16th globally in criminality in the 2023 Global Organized Crime Index, experts argue that building public confidence in law enforcement is crucial for stability and development.
The two studies send a clear message: unless systemic reforms are paired with genuine grassroots trust-building, Kenya risks entrenching a culture where citizens fear the very officers meant to protect them.
