The Police Reforms Working Group Kenya, an alliance of national and grassroots organisations committed to professional and rule of law policing, has issued a statement with its initial response to the Building Bridges Initiative implementation road map, that was launched on October 26.

The PRWG-K has completed a preliminary analysis of the BBI report proposals on policing reform. Based on this analysis, it is our opinion that  the  BBI Steering  Committee recommendations  do  not  yet  sufficiently  build  on  the  achievements  and  address  the challenges currently being faced by the National Police Service under the Constitution of Kenya 2010. In our opinion, it is not legal or structural challenges that has weakened the critical pillars of police transformation but substantive governance and resourcing shortcomings. While the BBI process has provided the nation another critical opportunity to look at the state of the policing sector, it is important that any new reforms boldly address our common interest in a respectable, professional, human rights compliant service that caters for their welfare.

Read the full statement of the Police Reforms Working Group Kenya, of which PBI Kenya is part, here.