Implications Of National Police Service Reforms On Response To Terror Activities: A Case Study Of Mandera County, Kenya

ABSTRACT

The study investigated the implication of national police service reforms on response to terror activities in Mandera County, Kenya. The study aimed at determining the extent to which police response to terror activates has become a national issue following the rolled our police reforms implementation. A case study design was used which combined qualitative and quantitative techniques of data collection and analysis. However, the study was more inclined to the qualitative research paradigm. The specific objectives of this study are: to examine the characteristics of security state in Mandera County, Kenya, to analyse the national police strategies and programs that have been implemented in Mandera County, to evaluate the significance of national police reforms implemented in Mandera County in response to terror activities and to examine implications of National Police Service reforms on response to terror activities in Mandera County, Kenya.

This study was guided by James Q Wilson and George Kelling (1982) Broken Window theory which observes serious crime as the final result of a lengthier chain of events, emanating from a disorder and if the disorder is eliminated then serious crimes would not occur. The target population comprised law enforcement officials, County administrators, village elders and County Commissioner (Mandera County). Other informants included Key religious leaders, member of enterprise community, County Social Welfare Officer, Programme Coordinator (World Vision Kenya) and participants of county meeting. Stratified random sampling changed into used to sample one thirty-eight (138) respondents participated in the have a look at who made out of law enforcement officials all ranks and key protection respondents from local and county protection administrators. Data had been gathered through questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, in-depth interviews and evaluation of files. Qualitative records were analysed thematically through identification of themes and sub-subject matters that emerged. Basic descriptive facts such as frequencies, chances and tables have been used within the analysis of quantitative statistics. The have a look at determined that there may be need to improve service transport, improving cooperation among police and the general public. The take a look at stated that locals attributed reforms to the reaction to put up-election violence. The look at determined that (54%) of the respondent felt that the police reform packages and strategies had not been fully implemented. This was attributed by response strategies that have arguably been branded slow or un-coordinated. Additionally, 36.4% of the respondents felt that there had not been enough sensitization carried out on the newly enacted police reforms. Further, 69.6% of the respondents indicated that police infrastructure has not been transformed according to the needs on the ground. Nonetheless, there were some positives in that, 81.9% of respondents indicated that the police have increased logistical capacity, 72.8% indicated that implemented reforms have increase the efficiency and effectiveness of response to terror activities. These findings mirror those of other studies that found that implementation of police reforms in African countries is often partial at best, but nonetheless offers improvement to service delivery. Based on the findings the study recommended that there should be increased cooperation between all stakeholders and members of the community to ensure effective implementation of police reforms.