H.E President William Ruto has formed a taskforce headed by Retired Chief Justice David Maraga, with a mission to spearhead the country into the next phase of police reforms.
This follows a gazette notice by the President, appointing a 20-member team into the National Taskforce on Improvement of the Terms and Conditions of the Service and Other Reforms for Members of the National Police Service and Kenya Prisons Service.
The Presidential decision takes into cognizant critical issues that have “perennially” weighed down policing in Kenya including welfare of officers, autonomy, accountability, responsiveness, tooling and retooling.
President Dr. Ruto, noted that strengthening the security sector remains a national priority “and the primary means of surmounting the emerging and dynamic security challenges that the country faces.”
Ms. Muthaura, MBS
Ms. Doreen Muthaura, MBS, who sits at the Independent Policing and Oversight Authority Board, is among the eminent Kenyans the President is relying on to lead this transformation.
Ms. Muthaura is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya of over 15 years standing, an expert in Legislative Drafting, Law Reform, Policy Formulation and evidence based Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA). She holds Legum Magister, (Master of Laws—LLM) with Distinction from the University of London, Law Degree (LLB Hons.) from Moi University, a postgraduate Diploma in Legal Studies from the Kenya School of Law, a Postgraduate Diploma in Legislative Drafting from the Royal Institute of Public Administration (RIPA – International) London, a Postgraduate in Evidence Based Policy Formulation and Translating Policy into Legislation from RIPA International London, Certificate in Effective Governance, Leadership and Integrity from the Griffith University, Queensland Australia amongst other professional and academic training. She was the Vice Chairperson and Commissioner at the Kenya Law Reform Commission, from 2013 to 2018
The President made the appointments in the Gazette notice, December 21, 2022.
President Ruto, expects the taskforce, among other tasks, to review and recommend improvement on the terms and conditions of service, identify and recommend legal policy, institutional and operational reforms in both the NPS and KPS.
IPOA Recommendations
In addition, the taskforce will consider recommendations that the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), Salaries and Remuneration Commission, National Police Service Commission and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has made over the years, mainly to transform policing in Kenya into world-class standards.
Moreover, the taskforce is expected to recommend the review of the remuneration of the members of the two Services and consideration of new and applicable allowances to enhance professionalism, and effectiveness within the service institutions.
IPOA was established to provide for civilian oversight over the work of the police in Kenya and has over the years t worked to improve and professionalise the police.
Most recently the IPOA commended the National Police Service for upholding professionalism during the August 2022 General Elections.
This observation is among other areas the Authority identified in its report on 2022 Elections, including other recommendations that call for improvement in future policing undertakings that affect members of the public.