The amount of corruption that goes on with the police in Kenya is ridiculous, people everyday give out money to the police for offences that don't even exist. Attitude that police give to civilians is appalling. Police set up road blocks along roads and literally harass civilians, there was a time when I was stopped and was told that I have two options I can pull up to the side of the road while the police make a thorough search of the vehicle and waste my time or I can give me " kitu kidongo", (this is a term used for something small in Swahili but is mainly known as a bribe which police will even ask for shamelessly). Then I would be able to be on my way.
Police are meant to protect and serve but there have been many incidents where if vehicles don't stop, police will shoot their firearms with live ammunition they've also shot out at various public demonstrations such as the recent post election violence. Police sprayed bullets as well as tear gas terrifying the public protesters there were many fatalities in this time.
In Kenya its all about who you know, people can be arrested for no reason what so ever the power is mainly from people within the government, as well as the rich, but the brutal force which police put on the poor is inhumane. Kenya has high levels of poverty particularly in Nairobi, police have known to make raids in slums destroying property of the poor greatly, in Nairobi you can get arrested at night if you don't have I.D on you or "kitu kidogo" and I.D's are not given out for free.
But the police do also have a hard time as there is a lot of tribalism in kenya like most african countries. the main problem is with the mungiki forces causing great chaos in kenya there have been incidents of mungiki gangs cutting off the heads of people and leaving them around main roads of the capital. there has been a lot of deaths related with this conflict with the mungiki.
Police also get a very low salary and at the end of the day they have to earn a living and this is why most police result to bribes but still this is no excuse for their brutal force used against civilians, if money could be circulated round the people instead of being held up through corruption and greed of certain polititians and other individuals with power, slowly problems like poverty and corruption could slowly be irradicated because like most african countries kenya does have a lot of resources available to sustain the entire popullation.
