Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has officially turned several police posts into full police stations in a move aimed at improving security in different parts of the country.
In a gazette notice dated March 27, Kanja confirmed that the stations are now fully recognised under the law and can operate like any other police station.
The changes affect five counties Kajiado, Kisumu, Migori, Wajir and Meru.
The stations include Gataka in Kajiado North, Otonglo in Kisumu West, Mabera in Kuria West, Lagbogol in Wajir West and Thuura in Imenti East.
For people living in these areas, this could make a big difference. Some of the regions have been dealing with insecurity for a long time, from bandit attacks to cases of livestock theft and local clashes.
Before, most of these regions had only been equipped with police posts. Police posts are small and cannot deal with more serious cases. Most serious cases were being taken to other stations that were far from the region.
Now, with the upgrade, officers can handle more work on the ground including arrests, holding suspects and responding faster when incidents happen.
The decision was made by the National Police Service and the purpose of this decision was to bring the services closer to the people and make it easier to deal with the issue of crime at the local level.
In places such as Imenti East, the people have been complaining about the insecurity in the area over the past few months. The new status is likely to improve the situation in the area.
The gazette notice has given the stations the power to operate fully.
