Constitutional lawyer Willis Otieno has sharply criticized the Kenyan government’s current approach to police reform, warning that equipping officers with modern weaponry without enforcing structural accountability could deepen state violence rather than prevent it.
Speaking on Citizen TV’s DayBreak in the wake of the controversial death of Albert Ojwang in police custody, Otieno called the incident a stark indicator of systemic rot within the police force.
“Buying equipment and calling it reform is misguided,” Otieno said. “All we’re doing is arming a rogue militia with modern tools of oppression.”
He accused elements within the police service of serving entrenched political interests rather than upholding public safety. Citing past cases, including that of Boniface, a protester shot while unarmed, Otieno argued that officers are increasingly being used as political enforcers.
“This is not law enforcement, it’s political enforcement,” he stated. “Civilians are no longer seen as citizens but as enemies.”
Otieno called for urgent implementation of Article 239 of the Constitution, which mandates that police remain subordinate to civilian authority. He proposed establishing independent civilian oversight committees in every police station, with powers to inspect firearms logs, review use-of-force incidents, and question officers on duty.
“You can’t call it reform when someone dies inside a police station. The system itself is broken,” he said.
In response to public uproar, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen defended the integrity of the police service during a June 13 event at the National Police Leadership Academy in Ngong. He stressed that the government would not tolerate rogue behavior within the ranks.
“We cannot allow a few officers, whether 50 or 100 out of 120,000, to define the entire force,” Murkomen said. “Every individual case of misconduct will be dealt with firmly.”
He reiterated the government’s commitment to accountability, stating that no officer would be permitted to misuse their firearm or authority with impunity.
As calls for deeper reform grow louder, Otieno’s remarks add to the mounting pressure on authorities to prioritize structural change and genuine civilian oversight over mere tactical upgrades.
Written By Rodney Mbua
