The Kenya Police Service is on the spot over claims it is discriminating 23,000 former APs who joined last month as President Uhuru Kenyatta’s changes take shape.
Key interviews and a confidential memo obtained by the Star show that the former APs, who are now part of the Kenya Police Service, are underdeployed by their colleagues in the Kenya Police Service.
The former administration officers are also not assigned duties such as traffic, court orderlies assignments and the beat (street patrols) believed to be lucrative in security circles.
“It has come to my attention that ex-Administration Police Officers are underdeployed or are not being deployed in some sections at the police station,” Deputy Inspector General of Kenya Police Service, Edward Mbugua, said in a memo dated July 24.
The National Police Service (90, 442 officers) was made up of the Kenya Police Service (44,705) and the Administration Police Service (40,330). However, 23,000 Administration Police officers were moved to the Kenya Police Service to perform general duties.
The most affected regions following the transfers are Rift Valley (6,707), Eastern (3,938) and Central (3,109). Others are Nairobi (1,438), Nyanza (2,694), Western (2,276), Coast (2,043) and Northeastern (1,785).
The AP, under Deputy Inspector General Noor Gabow, has now remained with the Border Police Unit, Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU), Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU), the Security of Government Buildings Unit and Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit.
“It is disturbing to hear that some stations have more non-commissioned officers than the constables, while some police posts established in arid areas are run by junior police constables,” Abdi M, who signed on behalf of DIG Edward Mbugua, said in another circular last month.
The discrimination comes after last month’s circular that reorganised the police stations to 17, 746 across the country. Some of the stations were merged or collapsed while additional new ones were established. The circular also demanded the APs and KPs to work together under the new organisation.
“Whenever possible duties like beat, court orderly, traffic etc will be performed jointly as we are one service,” Mbugua warned the commanders.
The memo was addressed to all county, subcounty and ward commanders. Others are Regional police bosses, Director Inspections and other unit heads.
“Regpols to confirm compliance to DIG Kenya police service while other commanders to confirm receipt and compliance to their senior command,” Mbugua said.
Mbugua also ordered commanders to ensure fairness in deployment and the Directors to carry out regular inspections to stations to ensure compliance.
“I direct the ex AP officers must be deployed in all sections at the police station to enable them to learn the duties performed at the same station.”