The National Police Service is set to ban marriages between officers in various ranks.
Speaking on Friday during the official opening ceremony of the direct entry cadet inspectors’ course at Kiganjo, Interior CS Fred Matiangi said that the move is aimed at curbing murders in the service.
He said that the new rule that will take effect in July 2021 will also curb cases of sexual harassment and indiscipline among police officers.
Matiang’i said that if senior officers’ express interest in sexual relationships or marrying their juniors, one of them should leave the service.
“We have agreed that we will draw the line at this point. Senior police officers who opt to have affairs and relationships with the junior police officers and they want to marry them, one of them has to leave the service. We cannot continue this way,” Matiang’i said.
This new rule comes just after Matiang’i lost one of his bodyguards in a shooting incidence resulting from a domestic conflict.
On April 7, Hudson Wakise shoot his wife Pauline Wakasa, before turning the gun on himself.
Wakise, who was a GSU officer is said to have been angered by his wife, a trafic officer attached to Kilimani police station after she moved out of their house at the GSU camp.
He went after Pauline in her new house and after an altercation, shot her 8 times in the presence of their relatives and children.
Matiang’i mourned Pauline and Hudson, saying that they were vibrant officers with bright futures, who had fallen victim to psychosocial challenges.
“I am deeply pained by the tragic incident involving PC Hudson Wakise and his wife PC Pauline Wakasa both young and vibrant Police officers with brilliant futures tragically ended in their shocking demise. It’s a rude awakening to psychosocial challenges amongst some of our young officers that we have no choice but to pay greater attention to now. My sincere condolences to their families and friends,” Matiang’i said.
In June 2022, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) said that it had received multiple complaints from female officers over sexual harassment from their superiors.
Some officers told IPOA that they were bypassed in promotions even after aquiring academic qualifications, all because of rejecting sexual advances.
“They said if they refuse, they face intimidation and threats of disciplinary action, transfer to remote areas, demotion and even sacking,” the authority said.
