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Asige responds to OCS remarks on reducing number of women officers
04th August, 2025 01:32 PM
Nominated Senator Crystal Asige has opposed recent remarks made by a Nyahururu OCS suggesting that the number of women joining the National Police Service should be reduced.
In a post shared on her official X account on Monday, August 4, 2025, Asige said the country needs more women in the police service, not fewer.
Why Kenya needs more women
“We need fewer women in the police force? Actually, we need more. In fact, a simple solution to police brutality in Kenya is to increase female officers,” she wrote.
She added that global research had shown that male officers were more frequently involved in the use of firearms and excessive force compared to female counterparts, while women were more likely to use non-violent tactics.
“Multiple use-of-force research shows that firearms, excessive force, and lethal weapons disproportionately involve male officers, while unarmed de-escalation skills, non-violent tactical choices and decreased injury dynamics are attributed to more gender diverse policing.
When more women are on the ground during tense situations or protests, we see fewer injuries, fewer deaths, and more public trust.
Perhaps they already know this, but choose otherwise anyway,” she added.
NPS distances itself from remarks
The National Police Service later issued a statement clarifying that the remarks made by the Nyahururu-based OCS were personal and did not represent the position of the service.
“The National Police Service respects and upholds the constitutional provisions on gender representation, and recruitment exercises shall continue to reflect the one-third gender rule,” the statement read in part.
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja also addressed the matter during a separate media briefing, saying the police service valued the contribution of female officers and reaffirmed that no changes were being considered in recruitment policy.
The senator’s remarks sparked wide discussion online, with many Kenyans backing her stand and calling for better gender inclusion in the security sector.
