Former Chief Justice David Maraga has given President Ruto seven days to publish the National task force on Police Reforms report, warning that he will release the document himself if the government fails to make it public.
In a letter addressed to President Ruto on Tuesday, Maraga questioned why the government had not acted on the task force’s recommendations more than two years after the report was submitted on November 16, 2023.
Maraga cited recent incidents of political unrest and violence in Homa Bay, Keumbu and Ol Kalou, as well as reported violence at churches in Kisumu, Nairobi and Witima, as signs of what he described as a deteriorating policing environment under the Ruto administration.
“This is a road the country has traveled before at terrible cost. It must not travel it again. This, in my view, is all a result of the state capture of the National Police Service,” Maraga said in the letter.
Threatens to Publish Report Himself
The former Chief Justice said the report was prepared using public resources and should therefore be accessible to Kenyans under Article 35 of the Constitution.
“In the circumstances, and in view of the fact that the report was secured at public expense and in line with Article 35 of the Constitution, I demand that you immediately release and publish the complete and unedited task force Report within seven days, failing which I will myself release it,” Maraga stated.
Task force Recommendation
President Ruto appointed Maraga in December 2022 to chair a 23-member task force mandated to review the welfare of personnel in the National Police Service and Kenya Prisons Service and recommend measures to improve their working conditions.
The task force identified several challenges within the security sector, including political interference in the police service, corruption in recruitment and promotions, weaknesses in the police training curriculum and inadequate resourcing of the National Police Service Commission.
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Among its recommendations was a 40% salary increase for police officers, to be implemented in phases over three years to account for the cost of living and risks associated with police work.
The task force also recommended placing the National Police Service, Kenya Prisons Service and National Youth Service under a distinct security sector framework to guide their remuneration and terms of service.
On welfare, the report proposed improvements to institutional housing and expanded medical insurance coverage for uniformed personnel.
The government has yet to publicly release the complete report.
Former Chief Justice David Maraga has given President William Ruto seven days to publish the National Taskforce on Police Reforms report.
