President William Ruto has pointed out that Kenyans themselves are contributing to the rise in corruption, particularly within the police sector. During a town hall meeting in Kisumu on Thursday, he highlighted that bribery from citizens is fueling this issue. While he acknowledged that police officers who engage in extortion or demand bribes must be held accountable, he also emphasized that civilians who offer bribes to evade arrest or gain favors are complicit in the corruption.
Ruto defended the police by suggesting that, as humans, they might occasionally succumb to the temptation of accepting bribes. He stressed that the issue of corruption must be tackled from all sides. "There's significant impunity, and we need to address it as Kenyans. We must end the practice of bribing police officers," he said. He called for a collective effort to curb this culture, stating, “Both the police who demand bribes and the citizens who offer them are part of the problem, and we need to confront this issue directly.”
To address these issues, the government plans to modernize the police sector by digitizing all services, including the Occurrence Book (OB). Ruto explained that this modernization will enable real-time monitoring of police activities and prevent the loss of records. “We are digitizing police stations and the OB to ensure transparency and prevent the disappearance of reports,” he noted.
Additionally, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo announced plans to install CCTV cameras in major cities like Nairobi and Mombasa to enhance surveillance and accountability for police actions.
