Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced a sweeping overhaul of the National Police Service (NPS), unveiling a raft of bold reforms aimed at enhancing transparency, accountability, and public trust in law enforcement.
A key highlight of the reforms is a new directive requiring the installation of CCTV surveillance systems in all police stations across the country.
Speaking during his State of the Nation address on Monday, June 16, 2025, Murkomen revealed that the government plans to install CCTV cameras in all 1,209 police stations over the next two years. The nationwide rollout, he explained, is designed to restore public confidence and ensure that police conduct can be monitored and verified in real time.
“In the aspirational fulfillment of constitutional governance, I have today directed the implementation of the following policy reforms in the National Police Service. On CCTV, it shall be mandatory to equip stations with CCTV to enhance transparency,” Murkomen said.
The Cabinet Secretary noted that the CCTV systems will not only record daily operations within police stations but will also serve as a critical audit trail for law enforcement actions. Each system will come with backup support and be managed by the Officer Commanding Station (OCS), who will be held personally responsible for keeping the cameras functional.
“The cameras shall be under the OCS, and he will make sure they are always functioning. In case of a problem, he must report within one hour. They shall also have back-up systems,” Murkomen stated.
To enforce this policy, Murkomen said the government is drafting legislation that will make it a criminal offense to tamper with CCTV systems in police stations.
“We shall be making a proposal to Parliament to make laws that criminalise tampering with CCTV cameras,” he added.
He acknowledged that while some police stations already use CCTV, those installations were done independently and are not part of a cohesive national plan. Murkomen stressed that the current coverage is both inconsistent and inadequate.
“It is important for Kenyans to note that the current stations that have CCTVs are not enough,” he emphasized.
Police Digitization and Community-Based Reforms
In a further move to boost transparency, Murkomen announced that all police Occurrence Books (OBs) will be digitized within a year. The digitization process will allow each report to be tracked, audited, and verified in real time thereby reducing data tampering and improving accountability.
Alongside technology upgrades, the government is introducing a community-centered approach to law enforcement. Independent audits of police operations will now be conducted regularly to evaluate service delivery, highlight areas for improvement, and celebrate success.
“Officers will be required to collaborate with civil society groups, religious organisations, and local communities,” Murkomen explained. “These partnerships will be evaluated frequently to ensure compliance with our new guidelines.”
He also announced the creation of a national policy framework to guide independent audits of police operations, use of resources, and officer conduct.
“The framework will ensure compliance with policies and identify areas that need improvement,” he explained.
These regular evaluations, he said, will not only expose gaps in the system but also recognize officers and stations that demonstrate professionalism, ethical conduct, and commitment to community engagement.
Top-performing officers and exemplary police stations will be rewarded in a bid to motivate service excellence and build trust between police and the communities they serve.
Training and Performance-Based Policing
To anchor the reforms, Murkomen directed the immediate launch of continuous professional development programs for police officers, beginning with OCSs. The training will focus on constitutional governance, professional conduct, rights-based policing, and effective service delivery.
“I have directed that continuous development training begin immediately, starting with OCSs, who will undergo minimum constitutional training to improve professionalism and accountability in the police service,” he announced.
Murkomen said his ministry is working closely with Parliament and the National Treasury to secure funding for the training programs. However, he expressed frustration over repeated budget cuts, pointing out that training initiatives have been among the hardest hit.
Despite these setbacks, Murkomen remains firm on his mission to transform Kenya’s police service.
Towards a New Era of Police Accountability
Murkomen noted that the government is shifting toward a performance-based policing model. This approach will evaluate officers not only by their enforcement records but also by how they interact with communities and uphold ethical standards.
“We are creating systems that evaluate officers’ performance based not just on enforcement metrics but also on community relations and adherence to requisite ethical standards,” he said. “This framework shall establish both the criteria for reward and sanction of respective police officers.”
With these sweeping reforms, Murkomen said the government aims to redefine the culture of policing in Kenya -making it more people-centered, transparent, and professional.
