This archive report was first published on 3 August 2020.
On August 3, 2020, Kenya's National Police Service took a significant step towards modernization by digitizing its services. The move aims to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery, following the digitization of services at the Judiciary, the Director of Public Prosecutions, and several other government agencies.
Speaking at the launch of the digitization process at BuruBuru Police Station in Nairobi, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi emphasized the importance of the initiative. 'There is no turning back on this. It is going to work, it's simple as that,' he said.
The new system, which includes the digitization of the Occurrence Book (OB), will enable real-time tracking of complaints filed by members of the public. Complainants will receive their OB Number through a Short Message Service, and all complaints must be followed up with real-time progress tracked by seniors.
Police officers have been given 18 months to navigate through the new system, which has been installed in all police stations in Nairobi. Inspector-General of Police Hillary Mutyambai said the web-based system has been successful in Nairobi and is a great milestone for the National Police Service.
The automation of processes will cover five areas, including the automation of police administration, investigations, and crime analysis. The system is Web-based, meaning data will be saved in servers and can be retrieved upon need, and will also generate reports for all officers in their specific areas of jurisdiction.
