The Ministry of Interior says the lack of vehicles for police chiefs and officers is the biggest challenge in the fight against insecurity in the country.
According to Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, many police stations across the country do not have vehicles and National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) do not have means of transport.
Speaking during a public security baraza at St Thomas Girls Secondary School in Kilifi Town, Mr Murkomen said the mobility challenge was affecting patrols in insecure areas and that government was in the process of procuring vehicles and recruiting additional police officers to improve efficiency.
“Police and NGAO officer welfare is a nationwide concern. I have seen the magnitude of these challenges at the grassroots. Half of the police stations nationwide have no vehicles, and 40 percent of NGAO officers have no means of mobility — and the few vehicles available are old,” he said.
“Procurement is already ongoing at the Treasury to acquire 5,000 vehicles, which will be distributed among NGAO, prisons, and police services,” he added.
Mr Murkomen said NGAO officers in Kilifi and other towns would be provided with 1,000 electric vehicles to reduce fuel problems and service costs.
He added that officers in active operations had complained of having to travel long distances to service their vehicles.
“The President ordered me to show that the electric vehicles work, and that I should have one,” he said.
He noted that while the vehicles and motorcycles being procured will not solve the entire problem, they will help address the most serious challenges.
Mr Murkomen said the shortage of police officers was also a challenge and that the government would be recruiting 10,000 officers over the next three months.
“There are operational challenges that make rotation difficult, and the biggest challenge is numbers. We need to increase our numbers,” he said.
“We have few police officers with a lot of operational pressure. Even if you want to redeploy officers in operational areas, where do you get trained officers who understand the mission? It's a challenge.”
He said these were all budgetary issues, but the government and the ministry needed Sh2.5 billion to improve officer welfare and hire new personnel.
“We must prioritise the welfare of police officers. We will recruit more officers and acquire more vehicles to strengthen our security forces within the year,” he said.
During the baraza, senior police officers in Kilifi said that some colleagues who have overstayed in their stations have become a security threat.
Chief Inspector Christopher Nyamawi, the OCS of Mtwapa Police Station in Kilifi South, said law enforcement was becoming a challenge because these officers were too familiar with the community.
“There are officers who have overstayed — some for over 10 years — and it’s a challenge enforcing laws and directives because of their overinteraction with the public,” he said.
However, Mr Nyamawi noted that many police stations are understaffed and asked the Cabinet Secretary to consider increasing personnel to help Officers Commanding Stations (OCSs) work efficiently.
“You find a police station with seven officers, including the OCS. Among them, four have health issues, so only three — the OCS, officer in charge of the armoury, and one extra officer — are fit to work,” he said.
Malindi Member of Parliament Amina Mnyazi said her constituency had fewer police officers compared to the population.
The shortage has contributed to the proliferation of criminal gangs that attack and rob the public in broad daylight, she said, adding that Malindi police station had less than 100 officers and was overwhelmed by the large population.
“When I look at Malindi’s population and find only 120 officers, I feel we are understaffed and need more officers for effective policing,” she said.
Langobaya Police Station, in the farthest part of Malindi, has 13 officers but requires at least 30. Kakuyuni has four police officers, two of whom are unfit for duty.
