NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 28 — President William Ruto has urged more than 6,000 newly trained police officers to exercise their authority responsibly, uphold the Constitution and remain accountable to Kenyans as they begin their careers in the National Police Service.

📻 Breaking It Down

Ruto, speaking on Friday during the recruits’ passing-out parade at the National Police College in Kiganjo, said policing in a constitutional democracy requires officers to protect citizens while respecting their rights and freedoms.

The President told the recruits that their authority must be exercised lawfully and professionally, warning against corruption, excessive force and abuse of office.

“Wherever you are deployed, you must remain disciplined, impartial, incorruptible, protect the vulnerable, treat every citizen with dignity, and reject every inducement to compromise your duty,” Ruto said.

📌 What You Need to Know

He said the police must strike a balance between maintaining public order and protecting individual liberty, particularly as Kenya approaches the 2027 General Election.

“Do not arrest only the young people holding a weapon while allowing the person who recruited, transported, and paid them to escape responsibility,” Ruto said, warning against politically sponsored violence.

Ruto said the police would have a constitutional responsibility to protect the democratic space during the next election, while taking lawful action against individuals who finance, organize, incite or perpetrate violence.

He also cautioned the new officers against treating policing merely as a job, telling them that public trust would be one of their most important operational assets.

“When citizens trust the police, they report crime, share intelligence, cooperate with investigations, and help prevent threats before they materialize,” he said.

The President said modern policing must be measured not only by arrests but also by crimes prevented, lives protected, and the confidence created among citizens.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya