The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has raised concern over a series of attacks and killings targeting National Police Service officers, calling for stronger policing strategies to protect officers and improve public safety.
IPOA chairperson Duncan Ojuang Oburu said the deaths of officers in the line of duty were devastating and could have wider implications for security and public confidence in the police service.
“The deaths of officers in the line of duty are devastating and could undermine safety and public confidence in policing,” Oburu said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
The authority’s statement followed several incidents in September in which police officers were killed or injured, including an ambush in Gotu, Isiolo County, that claimed the lives of Chief Inspector Adan Isaak Somo and Constable Weblet Tabet.
The two officers were attached to the Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU), a specialised police formation tasked with combating livestock theft and related criminal activity.
IPOA said the officers were ambushed and killed by armed attackers in Gotu, while another ASTU officer was shot and injured during an attack in Burat Ward, Isiolo County.
The incidents have highlighted the risks faced by officers deployed to areas where livestock theft, armed attacks and other security challenges require police to operate in difficult and potentially volatile environments.
IPOA also mourned Gladys Nygute Kirika, who was found dead in Kagira, Kabete, Kiambu County.
The authority did not link the individual incidents to a single cause but said the deaths underscored the need for policing approaches capable of responding to security threats while maintaining public trust.
IPOA said Kenyans want a police service that is sufficiently empowered to protect communities while carrying out its duties professionally.
“Kenyans want an empowered police service that can safely and professionally engage with communities while carrying out its duties effectively,” the authority said.
The oversight body called on the National Police Service to strengthen its operational approach using evidence and established good practice.
IPOA said policing should be supported by “fit-for-purpose strategies and insights based on evidence and good practice.”
The call places greater attention on how police deployments are planned and supported, particularly in areas where officers face armed threats. It also raises questions about intelligence gathering, operational preparedness and cooperation between security agencies and communities.
At the same time, IPOA stressed that protecting police officers should go hand in hand with accountability and respect for citizens’ rights.
The authority reiterated its commitment to promoting “professionalism, accountability, discipline, transparency and respect for human rights within the National Police Service.”
That balance remains central to the relationship between the police and the public. While officers require adequate protection and operational support to respond to threats, communities also need confidence that policing operations will be conducted lawfully and professionally.
IPOA said stronger cooperation between citizens, police officers and oversight institutions was necessary to protect public safety and rebuild confidence in Kenya’s policing system.
“Strengthening cooperation between citizens, police officers and oversight institutions remained important in protecting public safety and building confidence in the country’s policing system,” IPOA said.
The latest incidents do not, on their own, establish a nationwide increase in attacks against police officers. However, they have renewed attention on the security risks faced by officers and the need for strategies that reflect the conditions in which they operate.
For the National Police Service, the challenge is to ensure officers deployed to high-risk areas have appropriate operational support while maintaining the accountability and community engagement that IPOA says are essential to effective policing.
