During his campaigns, President William Ruto used the extra-judicial killings and abductions as a campaign tool and vowed that if he elected, these would be a thing of the past.
Ruto told supporters that he was a victim of extra-judicial killings after two poll experts from India Mohamed Zaid Sami and Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan and Nicodemus Mwangi were went missing in July 2022. When he ascended to the presidency, Ruto disbanded the dreaded Special Services Unit (SSU) of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) which was linked to the abduction squad and 18 officers attached to the DCI were arrested and prosecuted.
Tue to his promise, the president formed a National Police Taskforce and appointed Retired Chief Justice David Maraga to review the operations within the National Police Service (NPS), Kenya Prisons Service and the National Youth Service to ensure better service to Kenyans and to make the police service an independent service devoid of political interference.
Maraga's report identified specific issues such as political interference in the NPS, corruption in employment and promotions, police training curriculum, an inadequate National Police Service Commission (NPSC), the role of the Cabinet Secretary responsible for National Security and structure of the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) in the police.
