KHALID: Protection of human rights needs a sane police service

In April 2021, Interior CS Dr Fred Matiang’i committed to address mental health in the National Police Service through a statement released on his behalf by Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai.

This was after constable Hudson Wasike, who attached to Matiangi’s VIP protection, shot himself after killing his wife, constable Pauline Wakasa. It was reported the two had marital problems that led to the killings.

Cases of police suicide have become rife in the last year or so. The case of corporal Caroline Kangogo is the most recent. Besides cases of suicide, there has also been a rise in public display of frustration and stress by various officers attached to different stations across the country.

Social media has recently been rife with officers complaining about their work environment and living conditions. So much so that Inspector General Mutyambai warned officers against displaying displeasure with their employer in public spaces.

This brings into sharp focus the state of mental health of Kenya’s police officers. What we are witnessing are symptoms of a stretched-out police service that is unappreciated for the hard work it puts in on a daily basis.

Police officers are human beings too. They have families and friends, as well as professional and social lives. Behind the hard-core faces they portray while in uniform, they are ordinary civilians with normal ups and downs like everybody else.

However, the stress of work sometimes takes a toll on their mental health. Officers engage and deal with crime on a daily basis. They receive and handle matters of defilement, rape, murder, suicide and other serious crimes every other day. These matters affect their mental wellness and ability to cope.

As a result, some of the officers end up depressed and psychologically affected. When there is no way of debriefing and dealing with the stress, they end up with mental health issues thus engage in ungodly acts, including suicide.

Article 29 (d) of the Constitution provides that “all persons have the right to freedom and security of the person, which includes the right not to be subjected to torture in any manner whether physical of psychological ”. This right is guaranteed to all, including the police.

What we are witnessing presently is a service that requires support in managing the psychological welfare of its officers. As citizens of Kenya, officers are entitled to the rights in the Constitution and this includes freedom from psychological torture.

Conversely, there are many cases of human rights violations by police officers. These include killings and torture. While it is inexcusable for officers to violate human rights, it is also worth noting that mental health issues may be contributing to stress that then push them to take out their frustrations on civilians thus violate human rights.

Addressing mental health of officers will thus directly lead to better promotion and protection of human rights by police officers.

In 2020, the police service launched the “Muamko Mpya: Healing the Uniform” curriculum to address mental health among police officers. The curriculum is the first of its kind and according to the Inspector General of Police, it is meant to “address, in a systematic and wholistic way the issue of trauma healing in the National Police Service and the community”.

While the curriculum was a positive step towards addressing mental health in the service, it would appear more still needs to be done to improve the status quo.

Having a police service that is sane is a necessity, especially as we approach an increasingly divisive election.

The National Police Service must immediately apply the Muamko Mpya curriculum widely across the country and reach out to as many officers as possible. If the mental health of police officers is addressed, then they will be in a better state of mind to perform their work, including supporting the promotion and protection of human rights and rule of law.

Security stakeholders must support the police to address mental health issues of the officers.