EFFECT OF IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC REFORMS ON NATIONAL POLICE SERVICE PERFORMANCE IN UASIN GISHU COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

The police reforms initiative has been practiced in many parts of the world. All the people of the country have a security role to play in the national police services. The government and citizens have expectation on national police service personnel to have high level of performance. Performance National Police Service has continued to deteriorate with criminal activities increasing day by day despite the government reform effort. The aim of police reforms is to change the police organization to enhance security. The purpose of this study therefore was to establish effects of implementation of strategic reforms on National Police Service performance in Uasin Gishu County. The objectives of this thesis include the effect of capacity building, public relation, oversight mechanism and police restructure on National Police Service performance. The study adopted Institutional and resource-based view theories. Descriptive survey research design was used. The target population was 475 and sample size of 259 used. Stratified, purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used in identifying respondents. Questionnaire was used to collect data. Reliability established using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Validity tested through expert judgement. Data collected was analyzed by descriptive statistics and inferential statistics techniques. The regression model had R squared of 0.707, showing that 70.7% of the variation in police performance can be explained by implementation of police reforms. The police relationship with the public (β1= 0.787) and oversight mechanisms (β2= 0.411) had a positive significant (p<.05) influence on police performance. The capacity building (β3= 0.040) and police restructuring (β4= -0.004) had no significant influence (p>0.05) on police performance. The national police service should conduct more capacity building among its discipline forces on the importance of public relationships with the public on their current mandate of partnership with the public as well as on the reform agenda. The Police Training Colleges should build the capacity of the officers on new legislations, human rights, new technologies and public relations. Members of the public should be further sensitized on the role of the police service and community policing to promote effective collaboration between them.