Reform of the Kenya Police Force: an Assessment of the Efficacy of the Legal Framework in Delivering the Much Needed Police Reform

Abstract

This work is divided into five chapters. Chapter One outlines the background to the study, statement of the problem, objectives of the study, research questions, and justifications for the study, hypothesis, theoretical framework, and methodology of the study and literature review. Chapter two delineates the mandate of the police service in Kenya as per the various legal provisions with a view to further outlining the challenges that undermine the realization of that mandate. Chapter three gives a critical and in-depth analysis of how the Kenya police legal framework deals with the perennial challenges undermining the mandate of Police Service in Kenya. These include, National Police Service Commission Act No. 30 of2011, National Police Service Act of 2011, and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority Act No 35 of 2011; and assess the extent that they are capable of realizing the police reform objectives. Chapter Four deals with instances of best practice in police reforms. It will examine legislations that govern police reforms in Sweden and South Africa with a view to benchmarking and assessing the adequacy of the Kenyan model alongside the identified cases. Finally, Chapter Five contains the conclusion deduced from the study and the recommendations proposed by the researcher on the implementation of the new police reform legislations. It will also analyze the hypothesis in line with findings of the study.