IPOA: Exhibits, firearms unsafe in most police stations

An Independent Policing and Oversight Authority (IPOA) report on the status of close to 100 police stations in the country has exposed how evidence and firearms are at the risk of theft as a good number of the premises’ exhibit stores, records offices and armories are either lacking or in dilapidated state.

This is further worsened by lack of security with the report revealing that only one out of the stations that were inspected had installed CCTV cameras.

Additionally, only six were found to have secure perimeter fences.

The report sampled 81 police premises across 22 counties (Embu, Marsabit, Nandi, Kwale, Kajiado, Murang’a, Tana River, Siaya, Elgeyo Marakwet, Machakos, Nakuru,Trans Nzoia, Nyamira, Kisii, Homa Bay, Vihiga, Bungoma, Kilifi, Kitui, Bomet and Baringo)between November 2020 and February 2021.

75 out of the total number sampled were fully fledged stations while six were police posts.

The inspections sought to establish the stations’ state of infrastructure in regard to police housing, office buildings, utilities, security installations and the welfare of detainees.

“Of the total number of stations inspected, only 44 were found having records offices out of whom only 21 were in good state.13 were in fair state, eight were in deplorable state and two were in deplorable state while information in one facility was not provided,” states the report released on Friday.

Exhibit stores were found available in 53 facilities out of which 13 were in good state,12 in fair state but 21 were in deplorable state and seven in woeful state.

Only 59 out of the total facilities inspected had armories whose state is further broken down as in good state (22), in fair state (24), in awful state (9) and four were found to be in rundown state.

Additionally, the report found that more than half (41) of the inspected facilities lacked grills at their reporting offices.

The lack of security is made even more worse by the revelation that the future of a huge majority of the stations stand on shaky grounds as they have no title deeds in their names.

These include; Maungu, Maktau, Murang’a,Kabati,Kenol KirwaraIshiara, Ena,Hola, Garsen,Keroka, Ugunja, Namanga and Makutapo police stations

The report found that out of the 81 stations that were inspected, only nine had title deeds (out of which only five had the deed records with them, the remaining four had their deeds in the custody of the land sponsors that ranged from Churches to community to two ministries).

With a lack of deed, plans for expansion and other development activities hang in the balance.

The law mandates the Inspector General of Police with the role of establishment and maintenance of police stations, posts and bases in the country and in ensuring that they are adequately funded to run their daily activities.

However the report has revealed that only 49 of the inspected facilities were found having budgetary allocation for detainees in their respective Authority to Incur Expenditure (AIE) allocations.

46 of the 49 had however received an insufficient amount for feeding detainees leading to huge pending bills amounting to over half a million in stations like Machakos and Masii police stations.

In some cases detainees were provided with only two instead of three meals in a day.

The report shows that many stations in the country have inadequate space to conduct their operations, basic mobility, forensic equipment to collect evidence and computers to record data.

It recommends the provision of these equipment as a means to fasten officers’ response capacity and encourage progress.

IPOA Chairperson Anne Makori further called for the establishment of a National Government-Police Infrastructure Development Fund to address the gaps raised as efforts by Members of Parliament to construct more stations in their constituencies through the Constituency Development Fund has only catered to a fraction of the gap.

“Various reports by the Authority have documented dilapidated Police infrastructure including perennial shortage of housing for Police officers in the country. Apart from the housing challenge, which has been given much attention, other infrastructural basics for instance, security installations, records and archives, office spaces, ownership of the land housing the Police premises among others have been largely neglected,” she noted.

Currently, the report shows that the NG-CDF constructed 17 of the total number of stations inspected, 31 were constructed by the National Government, 10 by National Police Service and 13 by local communities, NGOs, business communities and other institutions.

The report recommends that with the government intends to construct 1,764 stations across the country in one year, the NPS should take the lead role in guiding on the models of the stations constructed by the NG-CDF to ensure that they meet minimum requirements for county police headquarters, sub-county stations and ward stations.

For example, the report proposes that a County headquarter have a perimeter wall, a sentry at the entrance, spacious exhibit stores, a spacious room to serve as armory of steel box, a large room with gym equipment for the fitness of the personnel, a separate TV room for recreational purposes, adequate water, a resource centre for officers to read and keep abreast with current affairs.

The lack of security features exposes officers to terror attacks and break ins as happened in Kamworon Administration Police post in Nandi county where three G3 rifles were after unsuspected criminals broke into the armory while the officers were watching football at Chepturo trading centre..

In 2014, two police officers lost their lives after a car that had been detained for traffic offences exploded at the entrance to the station.