The sight of Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja addressing a political rally during President William Ruto’s tour of the Mt Kenya region is not just a breach of protocol — it’s a slap in the face to Kenya’s hard-won democratic principles.

This is not a mere misstep; it’s a calculated assault on the independence of the National Police Service (NPS), an institution that should stand as a bulwark against the politicisation that has plagued Kenya for decades.

For Kanja to step onto a political stage, clad in the uniform of impartiality, and speak to a partisan crowd is a betrayal of the Constitution, the rule of law, and the Kenyan people who demand a police force free from the stench of political manipulation.

Let’s be clear: the Kenyan Constitution, under Article 245, is unambiguous. The Inspector General is granted independent command of the NPS, a mandate designed to insulate the police from the grubby hands of politicians.

This isn’t a suggestion — it’s a legal imperative born from a history of security forces being weaponised by those in power. From the dark days of the Kanu regime, when police were little more than enforcers for the ruling elite, to the post-election violence of 2007-2008, where partisan policing fueled chaos, Kenya has paid a steep price for a politicised force.

The 2010 Constitution was meant to end that. Kanja’s appearance at Ruto’s rally in Kieni, Nyeri County, on March 31, 2025, shatters that promise, dragging the NPS back into the mire of political servitude.

What makes this even more galling is the context. Ruto himself has trumpeted police independence as a cornerstone of his administration. In a televised interview just days before the rally, he boasted of granting the NPS financial autonomy and operational freedom, claiming he’d never meddle in their affairs.

Yet here we are, watching Kanja — introduced by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki like some political lackey — addressing a crowd alongside Ruto’s allies. This isn’t about clarifying security matters or reassuring the public; it’s a blatant display of allegiance, a signal that the police are once again tools of the executive.

The hypocrisy is suffocating. Ruto’s words ring hollow when his actions turn the IG into a campaign prop.

The implications are chilling. Kenya’s police have struggled to rebuild trust after years of accusations — brutality during the 2024 Gen Z protests, abductions of critics, and extrajudicial killings.

For the IG to wade into a political rally at this moment doesn’t just undermine his credibility — it erodes the NPS’s legitimacy. How can Kenyans trust a police chief who moonlights as a cheerleader for the president? How can they believe the force will protect them impartially when its leader is cozying up to the ruling clique?

This isn’t just about Kanja — it’s about the precedent. If the IG can be paraded at rallies today, what stops Ruto from deploying the military or intelligence chiefs tomorrow? Posts on X have already called this the “making of a dictator”, and they’re not wrong.

Kenya’s democracy is fragile, scarred by decades of authoritarian creep. The NPS’s independence isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity to prevent a slide back into the days when state institutions were mere extensions of the president’s will. Kanja’s actions embolden that slide, signaling to every officer down the chain that political loyalty trumps professional duty.

Defenders might argue that Kanja was there to address security concerns, a flimsy excuse that collapses under scrutiny. If that were true, why the fanfare? Why the stage shared with politicians, the official live stream on Ruto’s platforms?

This was no briefing — it was a performance, choreographed to project unity between the executive and the police. The NPS’s own dismissal of unrelated Mungiki claims during the tour shows they know how to distance themselves from politics when it suits them. Kanja’s rally speech wasn’t about law and order — it was about power.

The damage is done, but the fight isn’t over. Kenyans must demand accountability. The National Police Service Commission, Parliament, and civil society should haul Kanja before them to explain this travesty.

Ruto, too, must face the music — his administration can’t preach reform while staging stunts that reek of old-school tyranny. The IG’s role is to serve the public, not the president’s ego. Every day Kanja remains unrepentant, the NPS sinks deeper into the political swamp, and Kenya’s democracy bleeds a little more.

— The writer is a Communication Consultant