Security Implication of Mutual Police and Societal Corruption in Nairobi County, Kenya

This paper uses data collected for an MA Thesis on the security implication of the mutual police and societal corruption in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study was motivated by increased insecurity in Embakasi North constituency despite tight security in the area. This study attributed this to mutual police and societal corruption that this study sought to establish. This study was guided by the Erosion Theory (ET) of corruption explaining why so many potentially good people get drawn into the vice. The study used cross-sectional survey design and stratified random sampling techniques and enlisted, 196 respondents and 10 Key Informants (K. I’s). The main data collection methods were the questionnaires for the main respondents and interviews for K. I’s. The main data collection tools were the questionnaires and Key Informants schedules. Quantitative data will be analyzed with the aid of statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). This study unraveled both, Macro and Micro police contextual obstacles where the extent and implications of the state organs such as the legislature, executive, and justice sector institutions suggested corrupt political contexts, hence constraining policing function with criminological approaches to corruption. With reference to the second objective, the study revealed the main forms of police corruption in the area which included receiving bribes to; release suspects from lawful custody, assist suspects evade arrest, cover up criminal activities, reveal police operations; protection of illegal activities, evidence tampering & theft and disclosure of privileged Information amongst others. These forms of corruption benefited organized criminal groups, which were said to be potentially risky to an extent of disabling both individuals and entire institutions, besides seeking state capture; in polity and economy. Finally, the study revealed a deeper relationship between police and society corruption based on determinant factors such as culture (p=0.01), systemic failure of governance(p=0.01), and failed economy (p=0.02). Deeper insight of police corruption seems to draw from a society wide cultural corruption paradigm. This study recommends that recommends an anti-corruption approach that goes beyond targeting “bad apples†and adopt a systems approach. Further, Political will from a benevolent dictator with presidential degrees on matters corruption will help crush this cancerous vice to the nib.