Africa boasts of two countries with police oversight institutions; Kenya’s Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and in South Africa, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID).
Arising from this dearth of independent civilian police oversight mechanisms, IPOA is centrally placed to provide platforms for discussion and experiential sharing in Africa and beyond.
In this spirit, IPOA on December 1, 2022 hosted a parliamentary team from Uganda which sought to understand how civilian oversight of the National Police Service in Kenya is progressing.
The team was particularly interested in the milestones achieved in law enforcement reforms.
From the Ugandan security reform experiences and challenges shared during the meeting, IPOA leadership articulated the journey Kenya has undergone in achieving Police reforms.
The Kenyan team advocated for the adoption of guiding principles of democratic control, accountability, public participation, transparency, good governance and public expenditure management as critical issues that the Ugandan team ought to consider in their reforms process.
The Usalama Reforms Forum, a registered civil society organization that has partnered with IPOA in contribution to Kenya’s security reforms since the Authority’s inception also joined the talks
It is also a registered member of the Facilitation for Peace and Development (FAPAD) and has been working to promote human rights, the rule of law and the enhancement of livelihoods in northern Uganda.
Shared experiences portend success in improvement of the security sector situation across the region and ensure enjoyment of the fruits of coordinated partnerships, mobilised resources, national development advisories and peace-building plans.
IPOA has in the past participated in similar dialogues with delegations from United Kingdom, Sierra Leone, Senegal, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Netherlands, France, Nigeria, Morocco and Indonesia.
The meeting was chaired by IPOA’s Vice Chairperson Dr. Jonathan Lodompui and attended by Commissioners Doreen Muthaura and Fatuma Mohammed. The IPOA CEO Elema Halake was also in attendance.