Kenya Police Service Leads in Complaints, IAU Report Shows

• Sep 02, 2025

The Kenya Police Service received the majority of public complaints last year, highlighting growing distrust in the country’s law enforcement.

According to a new report from the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU), out of 918 complaints filed, 714—representing 78 percent—were directed at the Kenya Police Service (KPS). The Directorate of Criminal Investigations followed with 155 complaints, or 17 percent, while the Administration Police received 49 complaints, equal to five percent.

The findings point to persistent concerns about police misconduct, neglect, and failure to assist the public when needed. Nairobi recorded the highest number of complaints, accounting for 42 percent of the total. Rift Valley followed with 15 percent, while Central, Eastern, and Nyanza regions recorded 12, 11, and 10 percent, respectively. Other regions each accounted for less than 10 percent of the cases.

Among the complaints, 379 accused officers of failing to act when required. Issues of harassment, bribery, and intimidation appeared in 91 cases each. Other grievances included unlawful detention, obstruction of justice, threats to life, assault, brutality, and negligence while on duty.

Most of the reports—85 percent or 784 cases—were filed by members of the public. Police officers themselves lodged 112 complaints against colleagues or superiors, while 12 came from organizations and 20 from anonymous sources. In terms of gender, men filed 66 percent of the cases, women accounted for 23 percent, and the rest were either anonymous or unspecified.

Interestingly, despite a year dominated by youth-led protests and heavy criticism of police handling of demonstrations, the IAU noted only one complaint involving excessive force, serious injury, or misuse of firearms. None of the cases reported deaths caused by police, a finding that sharply contrasts with accounts from civil society groups, which labeled the year one of the deadliest in recent times.

Out of all the complaints, 576 were forwarded for further investigation or administrative action. Fifty-six of those were sent to the Inspector General’s office for review, while the rest were addressed at IAU headquarters or regional offices.

The report paints a troubling picture of law enforcement in Kenya, showing a decline in public trust and ongoing concerns over accountability in the police service.