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The police corruption “crime problem” in Kenya

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Abstract

The corruption activities of the Kenya police are conducted primarily through syndicates run by superior officers. Police corruption crime has emerged as a serious “crime problem” in Kenya, perhaps not surprisingly given its reputation as being one of the most corrupt nations in the world. In countries where police corruption is persistent, such as Kenya, it represents a systemic failure of governance where the principal institutions responsible for ensuring police accountability, the observance of ethics and integrity standards, and enforcing the rule of law are compromised and themselves infested with corrupt individuals and syndicates. This work discusses and analyzes the trends and magnitude of police corruption crime in Kenya drawing on available data and providing detailed analysis to show a coherent picture of the police corruption problem and its environmental/situational determinants in the country within the current policing institutional framework.

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Fig. 1

Source author, based on data from EACC (2012, 2013, 2015, 2017)

Fig. 2

Source author, based on data from TI-Kenya (2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017)

Fig. 3

Source author, based on data from NPS (2017) and KPS (2012)

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  1. Development Practice International, PO Box 30002, Oakville, ON, L6H 7L8, Canada

    Kempe Ronald Hope Sr.

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Hope, K.R. The police corruption “crime problem” in Kenya. Secur J 32, 85–101 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41284-018-0149-y

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