Lawyer Willis Otieno has proposed a bold reform in policing, urging ordinary citizens to actively supervise police stations across Kenya.
In a post on his X account on Monday, September 22, 2025, Otieno argued that Kenya’s policing system still bears the legacy of colonial-era structures designed to suppress, rather than serve, the people.
“Policing in Kenya was not born to serve. It was born to suppress,” Otieno said. “From the King’s African Rifles to the colonial police, its DNA was to protect the State against the people. That DNA still lives on.”
Otieno called for the creation of Local Community Oversight Committees in every police station, which would function like boards in schools and hospitals.
“Every police station must have a committee elected by the people, diverse, and rooted in the community’s will,” he said. “Ordinary citizens supervising extraordinary power ensures fairness, prevents abuse, and holds officers accountable.”
“No more faceless orders. No more blood of innocents. The police must be tethered to the people, for the people, by the people. That is the foundation of true security,” Otieno said.
New policing model
The lawyer further envisioned a future where OCPDs become “Sheriffs of the People”, accountable to their communities rather than just command structures.
“With oversight committees, policing would shift from a top-down command enforcing fear to a social contract of trust,” Otieno said.
“This reform is not just about law enforcement, it is about institutional liberation and service that finally respects citizens’ rights.”
Otieno stressed that such reforms are crucial for Kenya’s democratic development, urging both government authorities and civil society to collaborate in creating accountable, transparent, and community-centred policing structures.
“Sunlight is the only disinfectant for power. It is time to ensure every police officer serves, protects, and respects the citizens,” he concluded.
