Gov’t Announces Plan To Equip Police With Body Cameras
Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo has stated that the government is expediting a proposal to implement body-worn cameras for police officers.
Speaking at a roundtable chat with digital media on Wednesday, Omollo stated that this is one method the government intends to combat corruption.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has identified traffic management corruption as a key source of road safety infractions, which frequently result in deadly accidents.
According to Omollo, the decision comes as the government considers increasing openness in the police.
“We are working on introducing body cameras,” PS Omollo said while responding to a question from Kenyans.co.ke.
He added, “When people know someone is watching, people tend to be well-behaved.”
PS Raymond Omollo reveals police will wear body cameras pic.twitter.com/QkcyYoZOly
— Kenyans.co.ke (@Kenyans) December 18, 2024
However, the PS remained noncommittal on whether the investigators from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), who have been accused of continuing forced abductions, would be required to wear cameras.
“We should look at it more broadly so that then we don’t take away the ability for officers to pick on something that would be good for public order and safety,” he asserted.
These devices, which give an unbiased record of police-civilian encounters, are viewed as critical instruments for maintaining transparency.
Body cams, which record every interaction, could dissuade officers from engaging in corrupt activities while also providing a clear record of cases of misbehavior.
In its 2023 report to President William Ruto, the Maraga Task Force described corruption as widespread inside the National Police Service.
The research states that corruption is strongly established in the NPS’s institutional culture, affecting recruiting, promotions, transfers, and procurement operations.
According to the Maraga Task Force, with chronic corruption and a culture of impunity, public trust in the police has been significantly undermined, raising doubts about the efficacy of previous reform efforts.
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The PS did not provide a date for when Kenyans might expect to see officers using body cameras. However, he disputed claims that the government condones corruption.
During his vetting in August, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja informed MPs that he intends to implement body cameras as part of his police reforms.
Kanja promised to make significant reforms to the National Police Service, beginning with the implementation of body-worn cameras, especially for traffic officers.
According to our study, the government would spend more than Ksh64 billion to purchase the cameras and equipment required for the Kenya Police Service’s 61,165 officers as of December 2020.
Gov’t Announces Plan To Equip Police With Body Cameras
