This archive report was first published on 1 July 2021.
On June 30, the Deputy Inspector General of Police Aineah Olweywe issued a directive banning police officers in Kenya from receiving visitors in police lines without prior approval from their bosses.
The order, which mainly affects officers living in lines, requires officers to obtain written permission from the orderly NCO (In-Charge Lines and Discipline) before bringing relatives or friends into the lines.
According to the directive, unauthorized persons will be excluded from police lines. The order was sent to all Regpols Formation/Unit Commanders, County and Sub-County Commanders.
This is not the first time the police have been restricted in their personal lives. In a related move, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i announced earlier in the year that police officers would be banned from marrying other officers, with those who break this rule facing the possibility of leaving service.
Additionally, the Inspector General of Police had previously banned police officers from airing their grievances on social media, following a protest by two female officers against alleged harassment by their bosses.
