Senators call for real-time CCTV monitoring in all cells to curb police brutality
The move comes amid rising concerns over reports of police brutality, harassment and unexplained deaths in custody.
The government has been urged to equip all police stations with tamper-proof CCTV cameras to curb abuse and ensure accountability in law enforcement.
This comes amid rising concerns over reports of police brutality, harassment and unexplained deaths in custody.
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According to the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU), at least 17 people died in police or prison custody between 2024 and 2025, with injuries, neglect and possible abuse cited. The fatalities spanned police stations, remand facilities, and prisons in at least 10 counties, including Nairobi, Nakuru, Murang’a, Siaya, Mombasa, Kakamega and Busia.
Legislators now want the government to ensure that all CCTV systems are monitored in real time and footage securely stored for investigations and judicial proceedings.
The call was made during a motion by Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu, who told the House that the national government must provide the necessary resources, technical support and training to law enforcement officers to ensure the effective operation and maintenance of CCTV systems, alongside digitising the Occurrence Book (OB).
“Even though Kenyans in custody are protected under Article 51 of the Constitution, the reality continues to paint a painful story of police brutality, harassment and mysterious deaths in our police cells. We have the example of Albert Ojwang, and Kenyans still do not know what exactly happened to him at Central Police Station,” Nyamu said.
She added that fears of officers tampering with footage were unfounded, noting that modern CCTV systems can be made tamper-proof, time-stamped, and equipped with advanced security features.
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei stressed that CCTV footage is vital for proving or disproving claims of brutality in custody and can be relied upon in court.
“We must also talk about upgrading police facilities. I have slept in many cells in Bungoma and in Nairobi. When you enter a police cell, it stinks to high heaven,” he said.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna highlighted that nearly 60 people have died due to extrajudicial killings, and young people attempting to record police misconduct are often assaulted. He said state-installed cameras would provide more reliable evidence but warned that technology alone cannot address systemic problems.
“If we do not develop a culture of respect for the rule of law, as set out in the preamble of the Constitution, there is not much we are achieving,” Sifuna said.
Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi noted that crime rates in Nairobi have risen despite a previous surveillance project by the government and Safaricom.
“The country spent billions of shillings, and the system is not working. What happened? As we discuss installing CCTV in all 1,209 police stations, we must recognise that this will generate a huge amount of data requiring significant investment in ICT infrastructure,” he said.
Migori Senator Eddy Oketch described conditions in police cells as dehumanising, with detainees suffering abuse from officers and fellow inmates.
“This is one of the motions I would describe as straightforward, timely and necessary. In fact, we are behind schedule compared with advanced countries that have already improved how their police institutions operate. We need this urgently,” he said.
Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah supported the motion, which he said would promote transparency and accountability, but warned against relying solely on technology to fix cultural issues in policing.
He cautioned that the project should avoid becoming another “white elephant,” similar to previous surveillance systems where large sums of money were spent with little impact.
“We must realise that we cannot fix a cultural problem using technology. Technology can only enhance or reveal an existing attitude. We have had problems even with elections, look at the KIEMS kits, yet we still had inconclusive outcomes. It is our attitude that needs to change,” Omtatah said.
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