Rights groups call for total break-up of Kenya police in response to widespread corruption News
© European Union, 2025, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Rights groups call for total break-up of Kenya police in response to widespread corruption

Vocal Africa and other human rights organizations condemned alleged police corruption in Kenya on Wednesday, calling for a complete disbandment of the country’s National Police Service (NPS).

The group statement demanded “urgent, fearless, and total disbandment and recruitment of police in Kenya,” arguing that the existing system is “irredeemably broken.” It rejected more moderate proposals of reform, arguing that the NPS is “beyond repair” and that a new police force must be “created from scratch.”

Organizations cited a report by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) that detailed widespread corruption within government ministries and alleged that NPS is the most corrupt institution in Kenya.

Relying on survey data, the report revealed that 48.2 percent of respondents identified the NPS as the government agency most prone to unethical practices and corruption. For comparison, only 5.1 percent of survey takers reported perceived corruption tied to the Directorate of Immigration, the second most-doubted national institution.

Similarly, 27.6 percent of respondents believed that police officers were considered the most corrupt government officials, while 29.9 percent said that police officers were the most likely to receive bribes. Despite growing awareness of anti-corruption initiatives, most Kenyans who admitted to paying police bribes said they believed doing so improved their chances of receiving police services.

Organizations proposed a series of systematic changes to combat corruption. They suggested that leaders devolving police to regional commissioners responsible for the recruitment, oversight, and disciplining of officers raise the minimum academic requirement for recruits, increase the intake of female officers, and empower independent watchdog bodies to ensure oversight, such as the Independent Policing Oversight Authority and the National Police Service Commission.

They also called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of officers involved in police brutality and extrajudicial killings and advocated for barring all officers who currently hold the rank of inspector or higher from joining a reformed, reconstituted police force.

The report follows a flurry of political unrest and anti-government agitation in Kenya. In June 2024, so-called Gen-Z protests opposed a controversial finance bill that raised taxes in a cost-of-living crisis. Youth protests were animated by a common frustration that President William Ruto and Kenya’s political establishment have failed to address corruption, earning Ruto the nickname of “Zakayo,” a biblical reference to corrupt tax-collector Zacchaeus.

A wave of anti-government protests this summer has engaged youth over issues of corruption, police brutality, and mistreatment of government critics. In June, public outrage intensified after the death of a teacher in police custody. On July 7, at least 31 people died and over 500 were arrested in anti-government protests that marked the 35th anniversary of SabaSaba–a date marking a pivotal moment in the nation’s stride toward multi-party democracy. The UN expressed concerns over the use of violence during protests, citing the usage of rubber bullets, tear gas, and lethal ammunition.

The National Ethics and Corruption Survey is an annual report published by the EACC and is a data-driven assessment of corruption across public institutions, detailing the government ministries and institutions found most prone to corruption. Corruption and police reform have been continuing widespread issues in Kenya. In 2016, an EEAC report said that the nation lost $6 billion to corruption every year, and three out of four Kenyans have reportedly either participated in or witnessed police corruption.

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