IPOA urges policing rethink after wave of officer killings

The oversight body is calling for evidence-based strategies as attacks on police officers raise urgent questions about officer safety and institutional response

By Alice Njoki

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority has called on the National Police Service to urgently strengthen its policing strategies and adopt evidence-based approaches following a sustained wave of attacks and killings targeting police officers across the country. IPOA chairperson Anne Makori said the pattern of attacks was deeply troubling and demanded a structured institutional response rather than reactive measures. “We cannot continue losing officers at this rate without a serious examination of how policing strategies are designed and implemented,” Makori said. The authority pointed to intelligence gaps, inadequate officer protection protocols, and the need for stronger community policing frameworks as areas requiring immediate attention. National Police Service spokesman Resila Onyango acknowledged the concerns, saying the service was reviewing deployment strategies in high-risk areas. Human rights organisations have also weighed in, arguing that while officer safety is paramount, any strategic review must equally address how police engage with communities to build the trust that makes effective policing possible. IPOA has indicated it will publish a formal report on the attacks, covering recommendations on training, equipment, intelligence sharing, and support structures for officers in volatile environments. For a service already navigating public scrutiny over conduct and accountability, the latest wave of attacks adds urgency to reforms that observers say can no longer wait.

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