A status report released by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has revealed that almost all of the cases involving police misconduct go cold.
The report, presented during a consultative meeting with members of the Civil Society on Monday showed that of the 5,940 cases that have been investigated by IPOA, only 6 had resulted in convictions.
In the meeting, IPOA was put on the spot over why investigations were taking so long and why some cases had stalled, some dating as far back as 2017.
According to IPOA, the low rate of convictions in the cases investigated was on account of low witness turnout and threat of witness intimidation.
“The threat of witness intimidation is a real one and this is further influenced by the high threshold set by witness protection agencies,” says IPOA
Additionally, most cases involving the police have flopped due to the lack of evidence. In its status report, IPOA disclosed that188 cases were thrown out owing to lack of evidence.
Speaking at the event, IPOA Chairperson Anne Makori said there are plans to devolve the body to the county level, adding that the success of IPOA required concerted efforts.
“As an institution, it is our firm belief that a multi-agency approach is a critical ingredient we need to offer Kenyans justice and professional policing service,” she said.
The six convictions resulted from 1,889 cases that had been dealt with conclusively, with 2,269 others still under investigation.
Inaction and Abuse by Police Among Top Complaints Reported to IPOA
A performance report by IPOA covering the period between January and June 2019 showed that the top complaints involving police officers reported by the public were inaction and abuse of office.
In the six months surveyed, the Authority received and processed a total of 1,717 complaints.
The complaints lodged to IPOA against police officers were received through walk-ins, letters, telephone calls, social media, emails, website and outreach forums.
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