Police officers currently deployed to Boni Forest in Lamu County have raised serious concerns over persistent neglect by the National Police Service (NPS), citing both operational and welfare-related failures that they say have left them demoralised and exposed in one of Kenya’s most high-risk security zones.
The officers, stationed across camps in areas bordering Boni Forest have accused NPS leadership of abandoning its responsibility to support frontline units.
They say that surveillance drones previously issued to units operating near the Kenya–Somalia border were hastily recalled for what were described as minor technical repairs, leaving the officers without critical aerial reconnaissance.
At the same time, armoured vehicles meant for tactical patrols remain grounded at county headquarters in Lamu and Garissa, while others are being used in low-risk zones such as Nairobi, far from the frontline.
In several camps, officers rely on faulty or immobile trucks for resupply operations, making it nearly impossible to safely navigate the dense forest terrain.
The same officers also report chronic shortages of basic medical supplies such as antibiotics, trauma kits and first aid essentials, items that can mean the difference between life and death in remote locations.
Financially, the situation is equally bleak.
Allowances once issued routinely have been reduced and are now frequently delayed.
The last payments were reportedly made in December 2024, with no follow-up despite repeated assurances from police commanders.
The officers say these long stretches away from family, coupled with delayed or missing Family Separation Allowances, have left many feeling abandoned by the very institution they risk their lives to serve.
Below is what some of them had to say, shared under the condition of anonymity due to fear of disciplinary action.
“Hello Cyprian. Please hide ID. I come to you a frustrated police officer. I work in Boni Forest and the negligence by the NPS is very demoralizing both tactically and financially. The NPS issued drones to camps in hot zones but they were quickly recalled only a few months in service. The reason was just minor repairs. Armored vehicles are just parked at units’ headquarters while others patrol the streets of Nairobi, painful sight. Meanwhile, several camps in Boni lack those vehicles with others just parked due to mechanical problems that can be easily solved. This makes movement and resupply extremely hard for officers in the forest considering the hazards. Most camps lack basic medical supplies like antibiotics and even first aid kits which could easily save and have saved many lives. Financially, the government used to provide allowances to the officers which kept on reducing over the years. Even after this reduction, the NPS is still unable to issue them consistently with some going for a year or several months. For example, the last allowances were issued in December of 2024 and there has not been a sight of them since despite vague promises from police bosses. Honestly, morale is at its lowest considering these officers take long durations away from their families and the risks involved during that time. Family separation allowance should be mandatory but the government sleeps on it as far as police officers are silent.”
