Why Senators are pushing for tamper-proof CCTV in all police stations

Senators want the government to ensure the installation of functional and tamper-proof CCTV cameras in all police stations, cells, and reporting desks across the country.

The Senators, who were contributing to a motion tabled by Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu, asked the government to ensure that all CCTV systems are monitored in real time and that footage is securely stored and made accessible during investigations and judicial processes.

Nyamu told the House that the national government should provide the necessary resources, technical support, and training to law enforcement officers for the effective operation and maintenance of CCTV systems and the continuous digitisation of Occurrence Book platforms.

“Even though Kenyans in custody are protected under the Constitution by Article 51, the reality continues to paint a painful story of police brutality, police harassment, and mysterious deaths in our police cells. We have an example of Albert Ojwang, whom Kenyans do not know exactly what happened to him at the Central Police Station,” said Nyamu.

The Nominated Senator clarified that the motion is not anti-police but pro-justice, because many times, honest police officers have been made scapegoats by senior officers while the real perpetrators get away.

Nyamu pointed out that some people will argue that the installation of CCTV systems is an expensive exercise, but the national government spends millions in compensation where police officers are accused of brutality, and CCTV can act as a preventive tool.

She said there are fears police officers will be able to tamper with CCTV footage, especially when they are guilty, so that they do not get accused or charged. However, using modern technology, CCTV footage can be made tamper-proof, time-stamped, and equipped with the latest security features.

“There are also privacy concerns about having cameras in a police cell. To that I want to say, you are not putting cameras in the sensitive places, not in the bathrooms. It is in the common areas: the corridors, the cell, the holding area, and just at the reporting desk,” said Nyamu.

Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei supported the installation of CCTV cameras, stressing the need for the House to ask the National Assembly to deliberately allocate funds to the National Police Service to modernise police stations, which should be the safest places on earth because they are guarded 24 hours a day through police surveillance and CCTV.

Cherargei said that going into the future, even in court, someone should be able to demand accountability, and the only way to confirm allegations of police brutality is through CCTV. If an accused person comes before a judge and alleges torture in police custody, CCTV can be used as evidence in court to show whether they were tortured or not.

He said there is a need to ensure Occurrence Books are digitised, citing the case of Rex Maasai. He noted that the reason the Inspector in charge argued the entry to the armoury was interfered with is because it was not digitised, and that with the digitisation of police records, including CCTV cameras, the OB, and the armoury, it will be easy to track even the clock-in and clock-out times of police officers.

“I have slept in a number of these police stations, and I am a witness. Even as we speak about CCTV, we must also talk about upgrading the facilities within police stations. I have slept in many police cells in Bungoma and here in Nairobi; when you enter a police cell, it stinks to high heaven,” said Cherargei.

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, who supported the motion, said almost 60 people have died due to extrajudicial killings. He noted that sometimes in the streets, when young people try to capture police officers breaking the law, those recording are subjected to violence.

Sifuna said it would be good to get such footage from equipment installed by the taxpayer. However, he stated that if the country does not develop a culture of respect for the rule of law as set out in the preamble of the Constitution, then not much progress will be made.

“I will not tire to remind the country that I am the author of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Raila Odinga and President Ruto. Since I am a Senator, I made sure that I incorporated the resolutions of this House during the debate on the State of the Nation in that MoU,” said Sifuna.

Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi said that the debate around CCTV cameras in all police stations was ignited by the torture that has been happening in police cells, with particular focus on Albert Ojwang, who is alleged to have been victimised and tortured.

Osotsi said the crime rate in Nairobi has gone up, yet a few years ago there was a huge project to install CCTV cameras across the city, undertaken by the Kenyan Government and Safaricom. He said the Senate, particularly the Committee on National Security and Foreign Relations, should consider this matter and tell the House what exactly happened.

“That the country spent billions of shillings and the system is not working — what happened? These are some of the things that will be a major factor even as we think about having CCTV in all police stations. We are talking about 1,209 police stations. This is a huge amount of data which requires investment in ICT infrastructure,” said Osotsi.

Migori Senator Eddie Oketch said that what is happening in police cells is disheartening and dehumanising. Most importantly, the dignity of the justice system, which starts with people in police custody, must be upheld, since anyone in a police cell who has not been taken to court is innocent until proven guilty.

Oketch said that people have endured dehumanising acts in the hands of the police before being taken to court. Sometimes there are brutal killings at the hands of the police, while in other cases, inmates are mishandled by fellow detainees.

“This is one of the motions I would say is straightforward, timely, and something that is needed. In fact, we are behind schedule if you compare with some advanced countries that have made strides in how police institutions are managed. We need this urgently,” said Oketch.

Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah said that while he fully agrees that the motion contributes to transparency, accountability, and other benefits, he reminded fellow Senators that they must realise a cultural problem cannot be fixed using technology, as it can only enhance an attitude.

Omtatah said there is a need to ensure that this good proposal does not easily become a white elephant, where a lot of money is poured in, as happened with previous police surveillance cameras, but little value is realised. He added that it is important to consider the work environment of police officers.

“However, we must realise that we cannot fix a cultural problem using technology. Technology can only enhance an attitude. We have had problems even with elections, with the KIEMS kits and the rest — we have had inconclusive elections. So, our attitude is what needs to be changed,” said Omtatah.