Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji on December 26, urged Inspector General of the National Police Hillary Mutyambai to issue police officers with body cameras.
The DPP issued the directive in a bid to aid investigations into cases of road violations that resulted from excess boarding by passengers utilising public means as reported by Citizen Digital.
In a letter to the IG, Haji spelled out the standard procedure for the arrest of excess passengers arguing that they would only be liable to charges if they failed to comply with the orders issued to them by the arresting police officer, or the operators of the vehicle.
"It will be in my view, difficult, to gather enough evidence to demonstrate that an excess passenger refused to comply with the order of a police officer or declined a request by the owner, conductor and/or driver not to enter the PSV," Haji was quoted by Citizen Digital.
"In most cases, it will be the word of the police officer against that of the passenger," he added.
Haji highlighted that the body cameras would also serve to maintain proper conduct within the police force, averting possible instances of corruption.
“Further, to assist in maintaining law and order on the road, to reduce police excesses, to assist in case of violations, to support investigations and to mitigate any possible corruption, it may be prudent to consider providing officers assigned traffic duties with body cameras,' the statement adds.
On August 18, the DPP alongside Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti attended a meeting in Kayole that was called upon by members of the public who called for the employ of body cameras as reported by Daily Nation.
Haji and Kinoti were compelled to engage in the meeting with locals from Kayole after the area was plagued with brutal murders attributing to the prevalence of crime.
Therefore, body cameras would offer substantial evidence to aid in determining the course of action by the investigators.
