Police Professionalism and Civilian Oversight in the Management of Political Transition-Related Conflicts in Nairobi City County Informal Settlements

Abstract

This study examined police professionalism and civilian oversight in the management of political transition-related conflicts in the informal settlements of Nairobi County with reference to Kibera, Mathare, and Mukuru during the 2013, 2017, and 2022 General Elections. The study assessed police adherence to professional policing standards; analysed spatial and socio-economic disparities influencing policing outcomes; evaluated the influence of civilian oversight institutions (COIs) on police professionalism and identified challenges and opportunities shaping professional policing. Guided by social contract and conflict transformation theories, the study adopted pragmatic and interpretivist paradigms within a mixed-methods descriptive survey design. Using the Krejcie and Morgan sampling framework, a sample of 384 respondents was drawn from a target population of 635,282 and proportionately distributed across Kibera (112), Mathare (125), and Mukuru (147) using stratified purposive and random sampling techniques involving police officers, community members, and COI representatives. Data were collected through questionnaires, key informant interviews (KIIs), focus group discussions (FGDs), and documentary review and analysed using descriptive, inferential, and thematic methods. Findings indicated that police professionalism during transition conflicts remained moderate and spatially uneven. The overall police professionalism index (PPI) score of 46% was computed from indicators of legality, accountability, political neutrality, proportional use of force, ethical conduct, and community engagement. Aggressive policing was highest in Mathare (57%), Kibera (48%), and Mukuru (34%). Although civilian oversight improved accountability and procedural compliance, weak enforcement capacity and delayed complaint resolution limited its effectiveness. The study recommends strengthening civilian oversight, decentralising accountability services, and institutionalising professionalism-focused scenario-based policing training during political transitions.