IPOA, Lawmakers clash over violence and police accountability

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The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and lawmakers yesterday clashed over the surging political tension and violence ahead of the 2027 elections, with each party pointing an accusing finger at the other.

While lawmakers sitting in the National Assembly Committee on Administration and Internal Security blamed IPOA for not doing enough to curb the violence, especially during this volatile political season, the Authority placed the blame squarely on the doorstep of the political class, which it said was responsible for fanning the violence further, calling on the MPs to institute measures to cool down the tensions.

During a meeting at Sarova White Sands Hotel in Mombasa, both parties raised a red flag over the lack of police accountability and safeguarding of human rights, with just 15 months to the General polls.

IPOA Commissioner Jackline Mwenesi accused the political class of inciteful utterances and mobilisation of goons leading to the violence, and noted it was their responsibility to de-escalate the situation.

“It is on the political class to lower the political temperatures…With all honesty, the police are not overwhelmed,” she stated.

Her remarks came amid incessant calls by MPs for IPOA to explain any action it had taken to deal with the mounting allegations of police misconduct during politically charged events.

Lari MP Mburu Kahangara cited the ACK Waitima church attack, where police officers were captured on camera siding with goons who were destroying property and firing at parked vehicles.

“Such actions not only give a bad name to the police but also to the government as well. Has anything been done to establish the command structure and officers involved, given that it is an incident already in the public domain?” posed Kahangara.

In a rejoinder, IPOA Chief Executive Officer Elema Halakhe said the authority had launched both monitoring and investigative processes into the incident, but admitted to having encountered challenges “in obtaining accurate deployment records.”

“We made significant progress, but we have yet to establish which officers were deployed. The information provided did not match what we found on the ground,” said Halakhe.

The CEO went on to note that IPOA had recommended institutionalising intelligence-led policing to forestall such incidents, alongside strengthening community policing and enhancing training in crowd management and human rights.

“There is a need for refresher training, especially as we approach 2027. In that incident, the police were least prepared,” he added.

Sotik MP Julius Sigei sought to understand why IPOA was seemingly focused on reactive oversight instead of implementing measures to help them anticipate emerging threats.

 “To ensure that the past does not repeat itself, I would like to see IPOA being more proactive, looking at possible scenarios and deploying technology accordingly,” Sigei said.

The conversation quickly spiraled into the excessive use of force by police, with the Committee vice Chairperson and Saku MP Dido Rasso seeking to understand scenarios that warranted a “legitimate use of force”.

While warning of heightened tensions ahead of 2027, Rasso called on IPOA to move ahead of time and avert the looming increased protests through collaboration with the police.

“Both institutional and political leadership must take accountability,” he said.

To which IPOA CEO Halakhe responded by noting that the Authority was “studying historical patterns and projecting possible outcomes to prepare better,” even as he called on the police to act within the law where politicians were inciting chaos.

At the same time, the two parties backed the adoption of technology such as drones, body cameras, and CCTV systems to enhance transparency and accountability.

IPOA Commissioner Annette Mudola explained that drone deployment would be intelligence-led and used in planned public order situations.

“It will be suitable for monitoring planned events, but less effective in spontaneous incidents…A legal and data protection framework should also be developed to ensure their proper use,
 and would be required for its use,” she said.

The authority also endorsed the use of body cameras and CCTV systems in police stations, noting that technological evidence is more difficult to manipulate, and the move could help strengthen investigations.