The National Police Service (NPS) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) are exploring new areas of cooperation to strengthen police preparedness, professionalism and community engagement ahead of Kenya’s 2027 General Election.
The proposed partnership will focus on equipping police officers with skills in community policing, social cohesion, human rights-based policing, communication integrity and digital literacy.
Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja Kirocho held discussions with a UNITAR delegation led by Simiyu Warunga during a courtesy call at NPS headquarters at Jogoo House ‘A’ in Nairobi on Thursday, August 20, 2026.
The meeting comes as Kenya's security agencies increase preparations for the 2027 elections, when the police will be expected to provide security during political rallies, campaigns, voting and other election-related activities.
The NPS said the discussions were aimed at identifying training and development programmes that could improve officers' capacity to perform their duties while maintaining professional and human rights standards.
"The engagement provided an opportunity for the NPS and UNITAR to explore areas of collaboration in strengthening the capacity, professionalism and preparedness of police officers through targeted training and development programmes," the Service said.
Community policing and social cohesion emerged as key areas under consideration, with the proposed training expected to improve relationships between police officers and communities.
The NPS said strengthening these relationships would be particularly important during the election period, when political competition can create tensions within communities and place additional demands on security agencies.
The training would also focus on human rights-based policing, with officers expected to gain greater understanding of their responsibility to protect citizens while enforcing the law.
The Service said professional policing would be central to creating an environment where citizens can participate in political activities without fear or intimidation.
Communication integrity is another proposed component of the training. The NPS said officers would be equipped to communicate responsibly and engage effectively with the public, particularly in an environment where information can spread rapidly.
Digital literacy would also form part of the proposed programmes as technology becomes increasingly important in policing and public communication.
"The proposed areas of training are intended to enhance officers’ knowledge, skills and ability to engage effectively with communities, uphold human rights and professional standards, communicate responsibly, and navigate the evolving digital environment," the NPS said.
The proposed cooperation comes against a backdrop of growing attention on police preparedness and accountability ahead of the 2027 elections.
The agency explained improving officers' competencies would help strengthen public confidence in law enforcement while supporting peaceful coexistence.
"By strengthening officers’ competencies in community engagement, human rights-based approaches, communication and digital literacy, the initiatives will contribute towards promoting public trust, peaceful coexistence and responsible policing, while supporting the NPS in providing a safe, secure and conducive environment for all electioneering activities," it said.
The proposed training would support its wider preparations for the election period by improving officers' ability to work with communities and respond professionally to emerging challenges.
The initiative also places emphasis on responsible communication and the ability of police officers to operate in an increasingly digital environment, where social media and other online platforms can influence public perceptions and the flow of information during elections.
The discussions are expected to inform future training and development programmes involving the NPS and UNITAR.
Among those who attended the meeting were the Principal Assistant to the Inspector-General, Mathew Kutoh; Principal Deputy to the DIG APS, Masoud Mwinyi; Government Delivery Unit representative Zipporah Kinyanjui; and Ministry of Interior representative Gloria Karambu.
Also present were NPS Director of Training and Research Hassan Aljir, Bernard Walumoli, Samson Omondi and Richard Ngeno of the Kenya Coast Guard Service.
The proposed collaboration adds to efforts by the police service to strengthen institutional preparedness as Kenya moves towards the 2027 General Election, with professionalism, human rights and community engagement expected to remain central to election security planning.