This article was first published in the Daily Nation.
Most Kenyans, including those in marginalised counties, are familiar with the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA). For many, IPOA is primarily associated with investigating and prosecuting police misconduct – in effect, policing the police. That remains a central component of its mandate. However, IPOA’s remit is considerably broader.
Under section 6 of the IPOA Act, the Authority is also mandated to recommend prosecution of suspected officers, monitor policing operations, inspect police premises and lock-up facilities, publish findings and recommend better working conditions for police officers in the interests of police welfare, among other responsibilities.
Despite having operated for nearly 15 years, IPOA remains insufficiently understood by many people. This limited understanding has contributed to reduced trust and confidence among both the public and the police, as well as criticism regarding the absence of a sustained feedback mechanism for stakeholders. In response, IPOA has initiated a public and police engagement campaign, beginning in counties with limited access due to geographical and logistical constraints. The campaign seeks to bridge the gap between the Authority and its stakeholders, improve awareness of its mandate, strengthen trust and confidence, provide feedback on oversight issues and establish a basis for grassroots dialogue to improve police-public relations.
So far, the forums have facilitated open and candid conversations between IPOA, the police, and the public. These discussions addressed people-centred policing, the rebuilding of public-police relations, police appreciation of external oversight, and emerging service-delivery challenges. They were conducted in Taita Taveta, Narok, Bomet, Isiolo, Marsabit, Kisii, Homa Bay, Busia, Bungoma, Tana River, Trans Nzoia, Nairobi, Laikipia, and Kirinyaga counties. Ten million people were reached indirectly through media engagement, and 1,858 were reached directly through the forums.
Police participants perceived IPOA as an institution that oppresses officers and interferes with effective service delivery, while members of the public expressed concern about the length of investigations and limited access to IPOA services. Both groups described police-public relations as severely strained.
The engagement campaign has largely achieved its objectives. Complaints rose by 15.6 percent in the counties visited, suggesting improved awareness, trust, and reporting access. By the end of the 2025/2026 financial year, IPOA had received 5,384 complaints, compared with 4,495 in the previous year. Police inaction was the most frequently reported complaint, followed by unethical police practices and/or abuse of office, physical assault, harassment, police shootings, corruption/extortion, and deaths involving police.
The police engagement also revealed significant operational constraints, including inadequate vehicles, insufficient fuel, poorly equipped stations, and concerns relating to mental health, deployment, transfers, and promotions. These conditions contributed to demoralisation and constrained service delivery. At the same time, there was clear recognition that officers who commit offences should be subject to legal accountability.
The outreach campaign has not only strengthened awareness, but also identified areas for improvement within the National Police Service and within IPOA itself. This is not the end of the road for IPOA’s outreach campaigns; rather, it marks the beginning of a broader process. Future programmes will provide opportunities for complaint lodging, legal aid access, and redress, while also targeting counties with the highest complaint volumes, the greatest increases in complaints, and the greatest service gaps. In the long term, these initiatives should deepen trust, improve police accountability, and reinforce a more people-centred approach to policing.
Individuals with complaints, or those wishing to provide or receive feedback from IPOA, may do so in person, by email, or via the toll-free line 1559.
* Board Member, Independent Policing Oversight Authority; annette.mbogoh@ipoa.go.ke