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Kisumu, Kisii and Migori Counties Welcome IPOA's Outreach Campaign 

Some 1000 residents and police officers of Kisumu, Kisii and Migori Counties met with Kenya's Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) on 22- 24 September to discuss police reforms in Kenya. IPOA's unprecedented outreach campaign is supported by the Police Reforms Basket Fund, through UNODC. This excursion to Kisumu, Kisii and Migori was the second of five outreach missions.

IPOA's commitment to transparency and accountability within the policing services was in evidence when IPOA board member Tom Kagwe - much to the pleasure of crowd - shared his mobile phone number with the public.

"IPOA seems to be doing its best under the circumstances. However, more needs to be done in terms of dealing with corruption within the service and showcasing police reforms to the public," said Abdalla, a civil society member in Kisumu.

From 2016, IPOA will decentralize operations out of Nairobi, to take its services closer to the people. The aim of the outreach meetings was to sensitize both the police and the public on the role and mandate of IPOA. The meetings sought to build relations between IPOA and the officers, and to explain that IPOA's mandate includes investigation of deaths and serious injuries caused by police action, allegations of police misconduct and the inspection of police premises.

To increase IPOA's effectiveness and efficiency, IPOA also sought to clarify what it is not mandated to do, and what issues are more relevant to the mandates of the National Police Service (NPS) Internal Affairs Unit, or the National Police Service Commission (NPSC).

Members of the public asked what IPOA does to ensure rule of law is followed by police officers, how suspects are handled, and how extra-judicial killings are dealt with. Regarding corruption within the service, the public proposed that the NPSC undertake periodic lifestyle audits of all officers.

Addressing Director James Olola, police officers raised a number of queries on police welfare, including transfer and hours of service - matters which IPOA guaranteed to raise with the NPSC.

UNODC, the appointed implementing agency of the Police Reforms Basket Fund, is supporting a series of IPOA outreach initiatives. Following visits to Mombasa, Kwale and Kilifi in July, the campaign moves on to Eldoret, Nakuru & Kericho (26-30 October), Kakamega, Busia and Bungoma (9-13 November) and finally to Nyeri, Nanyuki and Murang'a (23-27 November). The campaign will have visited 15 counties by the end of the year.