The Ministry of Interior has disclosed that fewer than 600 police officers currently have active cases before the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA).
The revelation emerged on Wednesday, June 17, during a meeting held at Harambee House between Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo and a delegation from IPOA led by Vice Chairperson Anne Wanjiku and Chief Executive Officer Elema Halake.
"Less than 600 police officers out of the more than 110,000 currently serving have active cases before the Independent Policing Oversight Authority," the ministry said in a statement.
During the engagement, IPOA officials briefed Omollo on the authority’s ongoing work, including the development of standard operating procedures intended to ensure public interest cases are handled more promptly.
The team also outlined plans for an Alternative Dispute Resolution policy to address administrative complaints that are not criminal in nature and which constitute the majority of police-related matters reported to the authority.
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The meeting further noted that proposed amendments to the IPOA Act are under review, with the aim of expanding the Authority’s mandate and strengthening its oversight role.
In a statement after the meeting, Omollo emphasized the importance of cooperation between government institutions and oversight agencies in advancing reforms within the security sector.
"The meeting provided an opportunity to strengthen collaboration between oversight institutions and security agencies in advancing constitutional policing, accountability and the protection of human rights.
"As we continue to advance reforms within the security sector, constructive partnerships between oversight bodies and government institutions remain essential in fostering public trust, upholding the rule of law and ensuring a safer and more secure country for all," he said.
IPOA also described the meeting as an important platform for discussing ongoing police reforms and ways of strengthening oversight within the country's security framework.
"The discussions focused on the implementation of NPS reform recommendations, institutional collaboration, community policing, as well as measures aimed at enhancing professionalism within the Service.
"The meeting also provided an opportunity to deliberate on emerging policing challenges and the importance of strengthening internal accountability mechanisms within the Service," the authority said.
Notably, this comes a month after the High Court in Voi convicted a police officer over the 2019 fatal shooting of a man at a restaurant in Taveta Town.
In a statement on Tuesday, May 12, IPOA confirmed that Corporal Mark David Gitahi Marombe was found guilty of the murder of Esau Juma Mwanguku.
According to the authority, the court also cancelled the officer’s bond following the conviction and ordered that he be detained at Manyani GK Prison pending sentencing.
"Consequently, the Court cancelled the officer’s bond, detaining him at the Manyani GK Prison until his sentencing which is slated for 2nd June, 2026," the statement read in part.
The court heard that the officer fatally shot Mwanguku at Rockland Restaurant in Taveta Town, where both men had reportedly been drinking before the incident.
IPOA said it independently launched investigations into the killing before recommending murder charges against the officer.
"The matter was investigated Suo Moto by the Authority. Upon completion of investigations, IPOA recommended that the officer is charged with murder," the statement added.
