The IPOA report shows police lacked food, water, and allowances during the June 25 and July 7 protests.
A fresh report by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has lifted the lid on the dire treatment of police officers during recent nationwide demonstrations. Officers assigned to maintain law and order on June 25 and July 7 were allegedly left without food, water, or even allowances.
These protests, held to mark the anniversary of last year’s anti-tax unrest and to honour the 1990 Saba Saba democracy march, drew thousands to the streets in various towns. However, while crowds chanted for change, the officers deployed to manage the events reportedly worked under difficult conditions.
According to IPOA’s monitoring report released on Thursday, officers in the field were not issued necessities.
“IPOA monitors observed that police officers deployed were not provided with meals during the demonstrations,” the report stated.
Besides food, officers also lacked access to water and other essential logistics. IPOA has since asked Inspector General Douglas Kanja to step in.
“The Inspector General of Police should allocate a sufficient budget to ensure that meals, water, and allowances are provided for police officers deployed to provide security during protests,” the authority recommended.
IPOA also found fault with how some commanding officers handled notices about upcoming demonstrations. Some refused to acknowledge them altogether, a direct breach of the Public Order Act.
To prevent such lapses in the future, the authority recommended the deployment of officers with clearly marked vehicles, body cameras, and video recorders to enhance transparency during protests.
The report went beyond just police welfare. It emphasised that protesters injured during demonstrations should get timely medical attention. IPOA suggested setting up a Public Hospital Security Unit to ensure that healthcare workers and facilities remain safe in volatile situations.
The oversight body further advised the National Police Service Commission to recruit more officers to improve the police-to-citizen ratio, which currently stands at 1:600, falling short of the ideal 1:450 ratio.
Finally, IPOA is urging Parliament and the Treasury to increase its budget so it can strengthen its operations and fully deliver on its constitutional duties across counties.
