Presentation to the USIU- Africa 7th Criminology And Criminal Justice Conference: Promoting Better Policing Through Shared Practices
by Irũngũ Houghton and Benta Moige
What then happens when the service employs policing tactics and tendencies which are not in line with national and international laws, leading to the infringement of these rights instead of the intended protection?
The agenda four reforms and the constitution of Kenya (2010) were informed by the Krigler and Ransley commissions that demonstrated that executive capture and the lack of independence and public accountability were the drivers of post-election violence.
Between 2013-2022, Kenya saw a rise in cases of excess use of force during protests, extrajudicial killing of people suspected to have committed crimes and or had hardlines stands against the government and other powerful individuals, and enforced disappearances, a tool of terror which leaves families and communities in fear.
For over a decade, Amnesty International Kenya has been documenting the policing culture and has prepared several national and international reports on the state of policing in Kenya alone or with the Missing Voices Alliance and others.
This paper analyses the relevance of documentation as an accountability tool and its significance in promoting accountable and empathetic policing. Documentation and reporting are important when it evokes action from relevant authorities to effect change. Oversight by the public and independent institutions is key in ensuring good policing in the country. We summarise those findings and recommend human rights approaches to policing and how the Kenyan Police Service can be facilitated to achieve its constitutional mandate.