This is the version of this Act as it was from 30 August 2011 to 3 May 2017. Read the latest available version.
National Police Service Act
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LAWS OF KENYA
NATIONAL POLICE SERVICE ACT
CAP. 84
- Assented to on 27 August 2011
- Commenced on 30 August 2011
Part I – PRELIMINARY
1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the National Police Service Act, 2011.2. Interpretation
3. Object of Act
The object of this Act is to give effect to the provisions of Articles 238, 239, 243, 247, 244 of the Constitution.Part II – COMPOSITION, FUNCTIONS AND POWERS OF THE SERVICE
4. Composition of the Service
5. Gender, ethnic and regional balance
The composition of the Service shall, so as far is reasonably practicable—6. Deployment of the Service
7. Constitution of the Service
8. Command of the Service
9. Appointment of Inspector-General and Deputy Inspectors-General
The Inspector-General, the Deputy Inspector-General in charge of Kenya Police Service and the Deputy Inspector-General in charge of Administration Police Service, shall be appointed to office in accordance with Article 245 of the Constitution and sections 12 and 13 of this Act.10. Functions and powers of the Inspector-General
11. Qualification for appointment of Inspector-General and Deputy Inspector-General
12. Procedure for appointment of the Inspector-General
13. Procedure for appointment of Deputy Inspector-General
14. General provisions on recruitment of Inspector-General and Deputy Inspector-General
In the entire recruitment and appointment process of the Inspector-General or Deputy Inspector-General, the Commission, Parliament and President, as the case may be, shall —15. Removal of Inspector-General
16. Temporary absence of the Inspector-General
Where the Inspector-General is suspended from office under section 15 or incapable of performance of his or her functions, the President may appoint the Cabinet Secretary to act as the Inspector-General, for a period not exceeding three months.17. Removal of Deputy Inspector-General
18. Term of office
The Inspector-General shall be appointed for one term of four years and shall not be eligible for reappointment.19. Oath of office
Before taking up the office, the Inspector-General, and Deputy Inspectors-General shall each make and subscribe to the oath or affirmation set out in the Fourth Schedule before the Chief Justice.20. Vacancy and filing of vacancy
21. Requirement for consultation
All appointments under this Part required to be made with the approval of the National Assembly shall be made in consultation with the Prime Minister.Part III – CONSTITUTION, ADMINISTRATION, FUNCTIONS AND POWERS OF THE KENYA POLICE SERVICE
22. Composition of the Kenya Police Service
23. Functions of the Deputy Inspector-General of the Kenya Police Service
The Deputy Inspector-General for the Kenya Police Service shall subject to the direction, command and control of the Inspector-General—24. Functions of the Kenya Police Service
The functions of the Kenya Police Service shall be the —Part IV – CONSTITUTION, ADMINISTRATION, POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE ADMINISTRATION POLICE SERVICE
25. Composition of the Administration Police Service
26. Functions of the Deputy Inspector-General, Administration Police
The Deputy Inspector-General in charge of the Administration Police, shall subject to the direction, command and control of the Inspector-General -27. Functions of the Administration Police Service
The functions of the Administration Police Service shall be the —Part V – THE DIRECTORATE OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS
28. Establishment of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations Department
There is established the Directorate of Criminal Investigations which shall be under the direction, command and control of the Inspector-General.29. Qualifications of the Director of Criminal Investigations
30. Procedure for appointment of the Director
31. Removal of the Director
32. Vacancy and filling of vacancy
33. Staff of the Directorate
The Directorate shall have such number of officers as may be assigned from time to time by the Commission on the recommendation of the Directorate.34. Functions of the Director
The Director of Criminal Investigations shall—35. Functions of the Directorate
The Directorate shall—36. Funds of the Directorate
37. Financial Year
The financial year of the Directorate shall be the be—38. Annual estimates
39. Accounts and audit
Part VI – COUNTY POLICING AUTHORITIES
40. Designation of police stations
41. County Policing Authority
42. Meetings of the Authorities
43. Payments of allowances
Members of the Authority shall be paid such allowances as may be determined from time to time by the Cabinet Secretary on the advice of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission in accordance with rules published in the Gazette.44. Funds for County Policing Authorities
The expenses of the County Policing Authorities shall be met by the Service.Part VII – GENERAL FUNCTIONS, POWERS, OBLIGATIONS AND RIGHTS OF POLICE OFFICERS IN THE SERVICE
45. Officer deemed to be on duty
A police officer shall for the purposes of this Act, be considered to be always on duty when required and shall perform the duties and exercise the powers granted to him under this Act or any other law at any place in Kenya where he or she may be deployed.46. Rights of police officers
47. Limitation of rights and fundamental freedoms of police officers
48. Access to information
Subject to Article 244 of the Constitution and any other law enacted pursuant to Article 35 of the Constitution, a limitation of a right shall be reasonable and justifiable in an open and democratic society based on human dignity, equality and freedom and shall be limited only for purposes of ensuring49. General powers of police officers
50. Police records
51. Obedience to orders and warrants and detection of crimes, etc.
52. Power to compel attendance of witnesses at police station
53. Power to require bond of attendance of court
54. Kenya Police to maintain order on roads, etc.
55. Power to take photographs, fingerprints and forensic evidence
56. Stoppage and detention
57. Power to enter premises and stop vehicles, etc without warrant
58. Power to arrest without a warrant
Subject to Article 49 of the Constitution, a police officer may without a warrant, arrest a person59. Arrests and detentions by Police
An arrest by a police officer, whether with or without a warrant, shall be subject to the rules contained in the Fifth Schedule with respect to arrest and detention.60. Power to search without warrant in special circumstances
61. Power to use firearms
62. Non-liability for act done in obedience to warrant
63. Custody of unclaimed property
64. Power to apply for summons etc.
Subject to this Act or any other law, a police officer may apply before a subordinate court for summons, warrant or other legal process.65. Power to erect barriers
66. Protection from personal liability
67. Public property not to be used privately
68. Surrender of pubIic property on resignation etc.
69. Restrictions on resignations
70. Powers, ets, whilst engaged on duties of prison officer
A police officer engaged in carrying out the duties of a prison officer shall have all the powers, protections and privileges attaching to a prison officer.71. Police officers prohibited from taking other employment
72. Special police officers
The Commission may, in consultation with the Inspector-General, at anytime, if it appears expedient in the interests of public order and safety so to do, appoint persons to be special police officers for such period and within such area as may be considered necessary, and every such officer shall, during the period of service as a special police officer, be deemed to be a police officer for the purposes of this Act.Part VIII – RECRUITMENT, ENLISTMENT AND TRAINING OF POLICE OFFICERS
73. Oath of office
A police officer shall upon being enlisted, make and sign before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths or before the Inspector-General, in English or Swahili and in such manner as the police officer may declare to be most binding on his conscience, the oath or the affirmation set out in the Fourth Schedule.74. Certificate of Appointment
75. Leaving the Service
An officer may leave the Service only by the modes prescribed under this Act or the regulations.76. Retirement from the service
77. Retention in Service
Any police officer whose period of service expires during a state of war or state of emergency or during any time when any regulations are in force under any law relating to a state of emergency may be retained in the Service and his service prolonged for such further period as the Inspector-General may direct, but not for more than six months after the ending of such state or time.78. Membership of International Organizations
79. Training policy and curriculum
80. Training institutions
81. Examinations and certification
The Commission shall develop guidelines on examination and certification of police trainees.Part IX – POLICE SERVICE ASSOCIATIONS
82. Representation of police officers
Police officers may form associations, and such associations shall be recognized by the Inspector-General, the Commission and the Cabinet Secretary as appropriate associations for consultation in respect of any matter specified in section 69 and any other matter concerning police officers.83. Functions of police associations
Police associations formed in accordance with this Act shall be responsible for84. Recognized associations to make rules
85. Registration requirements
For an association to qualify for registration under this Act, the association shall be required to86. Association to be independent of trade union
An association established in accordance with this Part and any branch thereof shallPart X – OFFENCES AGAINST DISCIPLINE BY POLICE OFFICERS
87. Internal Affairs Unit
88. Disciplinary offences
89. Penalties for disciplinary offences
90. Power to summon witnesses
91. Recovery of fines by deduction from salary
92. Loss or damage to property to be made good by recovery from pay
93. Prohibition against officer being member of a trade union
94. Desertion
95. Prohibition against torture or cruel treatment
Part XI – COMMUNITY POLICING FORUMS AND COMMITTEES
96. Objects of communiy policing
97. Role of County Policing Authority in community policing
98. Establishment of area community policing committees and other structures
99. Functions of community policing committees and other structures
A community policing committee or other structure shall perform the functions it considers necessary and appropriate to achieve the objects contemplated in section 96 which may include the functions contemplated in Article 244 (e) of the Constitution.100. Procedural matters
Part XII – OFFENCES GENERALLY
101. Impersonation of police officer or wearing police uniform etc
102. Obtaining admission to the Service by fraud
103. Assault in execution of duty
Any person whoPart XIII – PROVISION FOR ADDITIONAL OFFICERS
104. Private use of police officers
105. Deployment of additional officers on private property
Where the Inspector-General reasonably considers that the deployment of additional officers in any place is necessary106. Additional officers for disturbed or dangerous areas
Part XIV – RECIPROCAL ARRANGEMENTS WITH RECIPROCATING COUNTRIES
107. Reciprocating country defined
In this Part, "reciprocating country" means any country which the President may, being satisfied that the law of that country contains provisions reciprocal to this Part and that Kenya is or shall be declared a reciprocating country for the purpose of those provisions, by notice in the Gazette, declare to be a reciprocating country for the purposes of this Part.108. Service of officers in reciprocating country
109. Service of police officers of reciprocating country in Kenya
Part XV – THE NATIONAL POLICE RESERVE
110. Composition of the Reserve
111. Certificate of appointment for Reserve police officers
112. Period of service in the Reserve
113. Deployment and calling
114. Disciplinary powers over Reserve officers
Every Reserve police officer who is required to perform the duties of a police officer or undergo training, or undergo who has been called out under section 104, or who otherwise performs or purports to perform any such duties, shall be subject to the disciplinary provisions which, from time to time, apply to officers of the Service of equivalent rank.115. Pay and allowances
Part XVI – FINANCIAL PROVISIONS
116. Allocation of Funds
117. Funds of the Service
118. Financial year
The financial year of the Service shall be119. Annual estimates
120. Approval of annual estimates
The annual estimates shall be approved by the Service before the commencement of the financial year to which they relate and shall be submitted to the Cabinet Secretary for approval, and after the Cabinet Secretary has given approval, the Service shall not increase any sum provided in the estimates without the consent of the Cabinet Secretary.121. Expenditure
No expenditure shall be incurred for the purposes of the Service except in accordance with funds voted or appropriated by the National Assembly.122. Accounts and audit
Part XVII – MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
123. Police station to be lock-up
124. Regulation by the Commission
125. Regulations by the Inspector-General
The Inspector-General may make regulations for the better carrying into effect of the purposes of this Act, including for126. Role of Cabinet Secretary
127. Role of the National Security Council
Pursuant to Article 240 (3) and (6) of the Constitution, the National Security Council shall exercise supervisory control and perform the following functions with respect to the Service128. Regulations, Rules, etc.
All regulations, rules, standing orders or any other Regulations, form of subsidiary legislation or guidelines made under this Act Rules etc shall be published in the Gazette and notified to the public.129. General penalty
Any person who commits an offence under this Act for which no other penalty is expressly provided shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five hundred thousand shillings or to both.Part XVIII – REPEALS AND SAVINGS.
130. Repeal of Cap. 84 and Cap. 85
The Police Act and the Administration Police Act are repealed.131. Saving and transitions
Notwithstanding section 131132. Continuous and sustainable police reforms
History of this document
15 September 2023
31 December 2022
Revised by
24th Annual Supplement
Read this version
04 May 2017
24 December 2015
22 December 2014
Amended by
Security Laws (Amendment) Act, 2014
16 July 2014
06 July 2012
Amended by
National Police Service Act Corrigenda
04 July 2012
Amended by
National Police Service Act Corrigenda
30 August 2011 this version
Commenced
27 August 2011
Assented to
Cited documents 3
Act 3
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Judgment 5
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Legal Notice 2
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