Kenya and the United Kingdom have officially closed a KSh3.6 billion seven-year partnership that has been instrumental in delivering police reforms, ensuring community security, and enhancing the national response to violence against women and girls.
Known as REINVENT, the programme was launched in 2018 with funding from the UK government to the tune of KSh3.61 billion (£19.5 million).
In the years since then, operations have covered some 24 counties and four regions: focusing on the causes of insecurity, strengthening the ability of institutions to respond effectively to violence, including better ways of ensuring that women and girls participate in efforts towards peace and security.
One of the major pillars of the initiative was combating SGBV through the establishment of survivor support centers and strengthening how police handle cases of gender-based violence, especially in high-risk regions.
The closing ceremony for the programme brought together senior officials from the two governments, who included UK Chargé d’Affaires Dr. Ed Barnett, UK Deputy High Commissioner Rosy Cave, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo, and leadership of the National Police Service.
Speaking at the event, Deputy High Commissioner Cave noted that REINVENT was designed at a time when Kenya faced significant security challenges, especially in frontier counties.
“While we initially embarked on this work in the north and coastal areas, this programme gradually expanded to meet emerging threats and spread to reach other parts as well. This was a shared vision: to reduce violence, strengthen institutional responses, and empower women and girls as agents of peace and security,” she said.
John Kamau, the Director of Police Service Reforms, said that REINVENT has delivered “measurable and visible” progress in policing standards across the country.
“Thousands of police officers and community actors benefitted directly from trainings, dialogues, and technical support while millions more have felt the impact through improved policing services and safer communities,” Kamau noted.
PS Omollo recognized the program as an important investment in Kenya’s larger security architecture. He noted the program was conceived from a long-standing security compact between the two nations.
In its seven years, REINVENT supported national-level police reforms guided by the Strategic Framework for Police Reforms, including legislative updates, policy support, and enhanced service delivery in 66 police stations. In addition, the program has facilitated collaboration between the police officers and the communities they serve.
This included the establishment of survivor-centered models, like the Nanyuki POLICARE Centre and the Mombasa Situation Room. REINVENT also worked to expand response to gender-based violence by setting up more than 60 gender desks nationally, besides supporting the localization of Kenya’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security.
The end of the programme signals the closure of an important chapter in Kenya–UK cooperation, even as both governments affirm their mutual resolve for safer communities and stronger policing systems.
