NAIROBI, Kenya – All police officers, including Officers Commanding Stations (OCSs), will now be subjected to annual training in constitutional policing standards under a new reform programme aimed at cleaning up the National Police Service.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on Monday announced a sweeping Continuous Professional Development (CPD) initiative, which he said will be rolled out immediately, starting with OCSs — the frontline commanders of Kenya’s police stations.
“This marks the first step in restoring professionalism, discipline, and service excellence across all ranks,” Murkomen said at a press briefing in Nairobi. “Police stations will be transformed into centres of excellence.”
The reforms come at a time of heightened scrutiny of police conduct, including ongoing investigations into the death of 31-year-old Albert Ojwang in custody — a case that has spotlighted long-standing concerns about impunity, abuse of power, and cover-ups within the force.
Murkomen said the CPD programme will include a standardised curriculum aligned with constitutional principles, with annual training now a mandatory requirement for all officers.
He stressed that implementation, oversight, and monitoring of the reforms will be decentralized to each police station and directly overseen by the station’s OCS.
“In our command structure, the OCS is the anchor of law enforcement activities. Superior structures exist primarily for coordination and strategic command,” he said.
New policy directives to enhance accountability, public safety and professionalism in the National Police Service.
To support the reforms, the Interior Ministry is partnering with the National Treasury, Parliament, development agencies, and public benefit organisations to secure adequate funding.
“It is unfortunate that, whenever budget cuts strike, training is often the first casualty,” Murkomen said. “We intend to reverse that.”
He added that upcoming recruitment drives will introduce a new class of specialised officers aimed at injecting fresh talent and elevating policing standards.
While urging officers to embrace accountability and professionalism, the CS also appealed to the public to play their part in fostering a culture of mutual respect and cooperation.
“As we relentlessly advocate for appropriate conduct by the police, citizens must also respect officers in the line of duty,” Murkomen said, noting a rise in incidents of officers being assaulted.
He also issued a stern warning against mob justice, banditry, and illegal firearm possession, describing such actions as threats to the rule of law and national security.
The government hopes that reforms such as CPD and decentralised oversight will help rebuild public confidence in the police, long accused of operating with little transparency or discipline.
