The Relationship Between Social Human Rights for Police Officers and Corruption in The Police Service in Kenya
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Date
2018
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Publisher
Tangaza University College
Abstract
This study focused on establishing the relationship between social human rights and corruption in the police service in Kenya. The study was guided by four objectives: first, to identify the level of knowledge of social human rights; to establish the level of corruption perception; to assess the condition of the right to adequate standards of living to investigate the level of the right to freedom of association among the police officers in Kenya. The research was conducted within Nairobi area. The research was guided by universality of human rights theory and human rights-based approach to development as its models and theoretical framework. Game theory was also used to guide in understanding corruption as a practice. Universality and human rights-based approach to development models argues that at the heart of any considerable development, human rights issues should be put in place. Descriptive research design with qualitative and quantitative approaches was used in the study. Administration Police officers working in Security of Government Buildings (S.G.B) unit Nairobi area was the target group. The research used a sampled population 100 police officers with different ranks, work experiences and duties. The research used cluster sampling method which involved dividing the population, in this case police officers, into groups (S.G.B) unit which follows random selection from the cluster. Data collected was qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed to generate information of what the respondents answered based on the questionnaires which were both open and closed ended. The study found out that there was some relationship between social human rights and corruption in police service where; increase in lack of proper observance of social human rights for police officers, there is increase in the levels of corruption. Specifically, the study found out that the level of knowledge of social human rights was low and the levels of perception on corruption were high. The study further revealed that the standards of living among the police officers were inadequate. The extent of the exercise of freedom of association among the police officers was low where most police officers were not members or even did not know of existence of any formed associations. The study proposed both short- and long-term action plan as redress measure. The short-term action plan was to carry out seminars, trainings and workshops as a way of creating awareness about social human rights for police officers and corruption. The focus of these activities would be leadership within the national Police service and the members of the police service as well as the relevant government bodies. The long-term plan was to lobby and advocate for increase of police associations, more engagements with the government to have legalization that enables the police officers enjoy their social human rights. Collaboration and networking with likeminded organization would be another form of action plan to put pressure of the government for the implementation of challenges facing issues around the social human rights for police officers. The study further proposed visibility campaigns through contributing articles in newspapers, magazines, and journals as well as holding talks on social media. More research in this field would be a powerful tool to be recommended to other scholars in universities that could bring alternatives ways and methods of understanding corruption and reducing it in police service in Kenya.
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Keywords
Social Human Rights, Police Officers, Corruption, Police Service