Police in Kenya have been barred from marrying or having sexual relationships with their colleagues, announced the Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Dr. Fred Matiang’i.
The CS said the move is aimed to curb sexual harassment and indiscipline case in the police force.
While speaking on Friday during the official opening ceremony of the direct entry cadet inspectors course at the National Police College Kiganjo Campus in Nyeri, the central part of the country, Dr. Matiang’i said the Interior Ministry would craft rules barring the security officers from engaging in any romantic relationship with their colleagues which is expected to take effect in July 2021.
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“We will adopt a system similar to that of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) which bars the soldiers from getting into intimate relationships with their colleagues. Moving forward, it will be illegal for a police officer to date or get married to a fellow law enforcement officer. If it happens that two police officers fall in love, then one has to leave the Service,” said Dr. Matiang’i.
The new directive will not affect officers already married to their colleagues, said Dr. Matiang’i.
The Ministry raised concern over the escalating cases of police officers killing their loved ones who are fellow law enforcement officers.
Top-ranked police officers were also warned against sexually harassing their juniours, and whoever found liable would be stripped of their titles and finally sacked.
“We have to adopt a new way [of doing things]. We will create a new gender relations office that will be under the supervision of the Inspector General of Police. Some of the female police officers have filed sexual harassment complaints. I want to assure you that it won’t happen in the future,” he added.
This move comes in the wake of Gender-Based Violence in Kenya. Last week, Gender Cabinet Secretary Margaret Kobia revealed that the country had recorded 5009 GBV between January and June 2020 from 1411 in 2019.
Poor parenting and moral decadence, retrogressive cultural beliefs, poverty, alcohol, alcohol, drug and substance abuse, domestic disputes, identity crisis among youths, and inadequate support system were identified as causes of GBV.
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