As the so-called ‘top cops’ are warm and cozy in their five star hotels discussing police reforms, your local cops are working the beat on this chilly Friday night. In our upcoming JULY issue writer James Kariuki asks just how bad is the reputation of our Police Service?
As a lead-in to the article, UP throws the spotlight on Godwin Kwach, aka Qwachezz Afande na Swagg — a man, a policeman, an actor, musician and event MC.
Godwin Kach, Police Officer, Vigilance House Headquarters:
I understand what people think about police officers because I used to have the same attitude towards anybody in that uniform. People associate the police with corruption and harassment because that has been a problem for many years. I had my doubts before enlisting, but the people around me encouraged me to be the different kind of policeman I wanted to see.Every police officer in Kenya is a Kenyan. Nobody is recruited from Uganda or Tanzania. Wherever I am posted, I ensure that I serve the citizens with utmost respect, just as I expect my family back home to be treated by the officers that are posted there.
We have all sworn an oath and are bound by the law. When I was first posted to Hola and then later to Mombasa, I never shied away from pointing out to my colleagues whenever they acted in a manner contrary to what is expected of us. We must understand our role and know that none of us is above the law.
Growth is a process. We already saw the change of name from Kenya Police Force to Kenya Police Service. That in itself says a lot about the direction that we are headed in. We are going through a transition and there is a lot of behavioral change being seen in the service. There is a large gap of understanding between the public and the police, but I’m sure this will be bridged very soon.
Look out for the full article in our upcoming JULY issue of UP Magazine
