Staggering Deficit Threatens National Security

The National Police Service (NPS) is operating with a staggering deficit of more than 200,000 officers, a new report by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) revealed on Thursday, November 13, 2025. The audit, presented at the National Police Leadership Academy in Nairobi, exposes a critical gap between the force's mandated strength and its current capacity, a situation that severely undermines its ability to maintain law and order across Kenya.

According to the NPS strategic plan for 2023-2027, the authorized staff establishment for uniformed officers is 306,590. However, the EACC audit, conducted between February 10 and June 13, 2025, found the actual number of officers in their posts was only 106,469, leaving a variance of 200,121. This severe understaffing has been exacerbated by a three-year freeze on police recruitment, coupled with steady exits from the service due to natural attrition, dismissals, and resignations without replacement. For instance, the Kenya Police Service alone lost 3,229 officers in the last three years.

A Service in Decline

Official data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) corroborates the declining trend. The total number of police officers, combining both the Kenya Police and Administration Police, fell by 3.6 percent from 108,013 in 2023 to 104,080 in 2024. This decline puts Kenya's police-to-population ratio far below internationally cited standards. With a population exceeding 55 million, the current ratio is severely strained, a fact acknowledged by Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo earlier in the year. While the United Nations' recommended ratio is often quoted as 1:450, some sources dispute whether an official UN benchmark exists. Regardless, the current numbers in Kenya point to an overstretched force.

The government's recent attempt to bridge this gap by recruiting 10,000 new constables was halted by a High Court order, further delaying efforts to bolster the service's numbers. Despite the court's intervention, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has publicly stated the government's intention to proceed with the recruitment drive to address the shortage.

Corruption and Systemic Failures

Beyond the staffing crisis, the EACC report unearthed deep-seated systemic weaknesses and corruption that plague the police service. The audit, supported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), identified rampant bribery, cronyism, nepotism, and political interference in recruitment processes. These irregularities have compromised the integrity of the force from the point of entry.

The report also flagged irregular transfers and deployments, with some officers being moved as a form of punishment. The traffic department was singled out as being particularly compromised, with institutionalized extortion and bribery. The EACC recommended the complete disbandment of the current traffic unit and the implementation of a periodic rotation system for officers in traffic duties to dismantle corrupt networks.

In response to the findings, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja stated that the service will act on the report's recommendations. The EACC, for its part, urged that the report not be left to gather dust on a shelf. EACC Chairperson David Oginde called for a "renewed commitment by leadership, officers, and citizens to rebuild this vital institution." The commission's recommendations include the full implementation of the NPS Act, the development of a robust corruption prevention framework, and the automation of recruitment and cash bail systems to enhance accountability and transparency.