Former Chief Justice David Maraga has issued a seven-day ultimatum to President William Ruto, demanding the immediate publication of the complete, unedited Taskforce Report on Police Reforms. The UGM Presidential hopeful has warned that should the Executive fail to release the document, he will publish it himself under Article 35 of the Constitution.
President Ruto appointed the 23-member National Taskforce via Executive Order in December 2022 to address operational, institutional, and welfare challenges across the National Police Service (NPS), Kenya Prisons Service, and National Youth Service (NYS).
Following extensive public hearings and nationwide field visits, the taskforce handed over its final 500-page report to President Ruto at State House on November 16, 2023.
The report’s core recommendations focused heavily on structural governance, calling for an immediate end to executive political interference and an overhaul of the National Police Service Commission (NPSC), which was accused of abdicating its oversight duties to top police commanders.
To tackle widespread graft, the taskforce proposed sweeping reforms to promotion, transfer, and recruitment policies to eliminate rampant corruption, while aligning officer terms with broader security sector remuneration standards.
Additionally, the report pushed for strict operational limits to break entrenched cartels within the service, recommending a mandatory three-year maximum transfer policy for officers stationed in any single location.
Maraga noted that the ultimatum follows escalating concerns over recent political violence and alleged police partisanship in areas such as Homa Bay, Kisumu, Keumbu, and Nairobi.
In his demand letter dated August 18, 2026, the former Chief Justice accused the administration of “State Capture” of the police, arguing that officers are being deployed for political interests in direct violation of Constitutional Articles 232, 239, 244, and 245.
Although the government launched an implementation framework in late 2024, civil society groups and the taskforce leadership maintain that core recommendations—particularly those curbing political influence and ending police brutality have been largely ignored.
