Some of the newest acquisitions. [Photo: kenyatalk.com]
The Kenyan Administration Police still adorn the post colonial military fatigues and carry AK 47 guns in urban areas.
Though their uniform is different, the Kenya Police, often referred to as the "men in blue" have a different uniform but also their guns of choice for the force is AK 47. Recently the government was seen to procure hordes of anti riots arsenal and vehicles. The militarisation of the police is a huge concern. In some of the big cities of the world, police carry a light firearm and in some cities, they use only tasers. Guns that deliver incapacitation of culprits to pave way for arrest. Like it's common in London. Firearms are used during special operations. While restructuring and the reforming the police has been one of the most important agenda for modern Kenya, the current government seems to be dragging its feet to fully allow modernisation and reforming of the Kenya's police force which is seen to be highly militarised with use of excessive force and unsuitable gear and equipment which can only be referred to as "responding to a mosquito with a hammer". For the public to gain the trust of its police force, a lot needs to be done. The image needs to be redone and rebranding undertaken. It is indeed sad that when NYS was recently branded, the choice of uniform was a paramilitary fatigue. Why are we over militarising our police forces and including the NYS? Is all that anti riot gear necessary? It is said prevention is better than cure. However intimidating institutions that hamper public freedoms only serve to fuel the duel between the state and the public. Further, some of the vehicles that were procured to fight terrorism appear to be hopeless in case of explosives as recently witnessed. Is the government anticipating mass actions and post elections riots of 2007/8 magnitude? Either way, it is time we reformed the police. It is time to cut down on huge spending to procure equines a d vehicles seemingly to suppress it's citizenry and instead invest in public trust and community policing. It's time to digitise police records. Scrap the OB book and adopt use of computer entries stored in the government's data base.Our police force do not have to bear the huge burden of walking around with a 3.5 kilo gun without the magazine. With a fully loaded magazine, it brings the gun to a weight of almost 7Kilos. A taser or light fire arm is adequate for urban areas and AK's should be a preserve of special assignments. The government should win public trust and veer off from 80's and 90's images of oppression.