Thursday, December 19, 2024 – Corruption may soon be a thing of the past in the police service if plans by Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo see the light of day.
This is after he revealed that
the government is accelerating a plan to introduce body-worn cameras for
police.
Speaking during a roundtable
interview with digital media yesterday, Omollo asserted that this is one way
the government plans to fight corruption.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption
Commission (EACC) has flagged corruption in traffic management as a major
contributor to road safety violations, which often result in fatal accidents.
According to Omollo, the
decision comes as the government mulls improving transparency in the force.
“We are working on introducing
body cameras,” PS Omollo said.
“When people know someone
is watching, people tend to be well-behaved,” he added.
The PS, however, remained
non-committal on whether the detectives from the Directorate of Criminal
Investigations (DCI), who have been accused of perpetuating forced abductions,
would be required to wear the 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 provide an
unbiased record of police-civilian interactions, are seen as crucial tools for
ensuring transparency.
By capturing every interaction,
body cameras could deter officers from engaging in corrupt practices and offer
a clear record of cases of misconduct.
In its report handed to
President William Ruto in 2023, the Maraga Task Force identified corruption to
be endemic in the National Police Service.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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