Civilian Oversight of Police in Africa. The Kenyan and South African Experiences

Abstract

In recent years, the significance of police oversight and discussions about police misconduct have become major socio-political topics. Security and policing impact the lives of citizens on a daily basis. The police oversight bodies have had noteworthy impact on the conduct of the law enforcers; however, this has come with significant challenges. These challenges will demand sound strategies in fighting some of the illegal actions taken by the police officers as they perform their duties. It is therefore imperative to have exposure and a good understanding of the available oversight bodies, how they were formed, their mandate and their present position. It is also of importance to understand the impact they have had in police oversight along with the challenges they have faced in becoming the bodies they are presently. This study was done to establish the impact of civilian oversight agencies in professionalizing police conduct in Africa. This study compares the cases of Kenya and South Africa and seeks to specifically examine the fundamental reasons that led to the formation of IPOA and IPID in Kenya and South Africa; to examine whether the institutions have fully addressed the concerns about professionalism and misconduct of the police; to assess the challenges faced by the oversight bodies; and also to examine the capacity of IPOA and IPID to fully exercise their mandate. It is a crucial study in that it will bring answers on various questions which relate to the impact of civilian oversight agencies in professionalizing police conduct in Africa; the challenges faced and the opportunities available for streamlining police conduct. The study also contributes to policy development most especially to governments as it suggests ways of enacting and implementing of policies aimed at improving investigations, research, inspections and other activities carried out by oversight bodies in different countries in Africa. The researcher employed desk research in order to get documented secondary data. This was presented in narrative form as discussion. Major findings reveal immeasurable need for governments to strengthen the capacity of their oversight bodies through more budgetary allocations, engagement of more staff, better training of staff, strict measures of adjustment of the length of time taken in investigations and subsequent prosecution of the guilty police officers. This will revolutionize civilian oversight and contribute to better services from the police officers in Africa.