President Uhuru Kenyatta.[Photo/PSCU]
President Uhuru Kenyatta has assured of continued reforms to boost police welfare and guarantee Kenyans of effective service.
The reforms include new National Police Service Standing Orders, career progression guidelines and basic training curriculum which the President launched Friday at the Kenya School of Government in Lower Kabete, Nairobi.
He spoke as he officially closed a two-day workshop of the Inspector General’s Conference.
The President said the modernisation of the National Police Service will be scaled up in his second term in office to ensure the lives and property of Kenyans are adequately protected.
“The modernisation programme we’ve undertaken—and which continues in my administration’s second term—prepares the Service to meet both the security challenges Kenya face today, and those we can expect tomorrow,” said the President.
Uhuru stressed that his administration will not waiver in its focus to equip the National Police Service to make it more flexible and innovative to deal with unexpected challenges, unforeseen political events and new sophisticated criminals.
Outlining the Jubilee government’s achievements in the security sector in the last five years, the President cited the example of the police motor vehicle fleet which doubled from 3,155 in 2013 to 6,140 in 2018.
“Indeed, as we speak today, negotiations to replace the initial 1,200 leased vehicles continue. It is as clear to us as, I hope, it is to you that this mode of vehicle provisioning to the police has helped you answer distress calls from members of the public far quicker than you once could,” he told the officers attending the conference.
The Head of State said the National Police Service Airwing, which does a great job offering air support to ground troops, has equally been scaled up through the modernisation programme.
“It now boasts reliable MI 17 heavy lifter helicopters and other smaller aircraft and besides conducting reconnaissance flights, it has the capacity to move troops to any trouble spot within a short time anywhere in the country,” he said.
Noting that the civil-works portion of the forensic laboratory at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters is virtually complete, Uhuru directed Sh1 billion be transferred from the Communications Authority of Kenya to DCI to boost the war against sophisticated criminals.
On police welfare, the President said his administration will continue to improve their terms and conditions of service to ensure better houses, better insurance and the realisation of the dream of a police hospital.