Wamae: Denying police party affiliation is unjust and unconstitutional
By Ascah Mwango, July 31, 2025Former Roots Party presidential running mate Justina Wamae has raised concerns over the continued restriction on police officers from affiliating with political parties, even though the Constitution gives them the right to vote.
In a statement shared via her X account on Thursday, July 31, 2025, Wamae said police officers in Kenya are citizens like everyone else and should not be denied the full range of political freedoms.
“Kenyan police officers are allowed to vote. The Constitution of Kenya 2010, under Article 38, grants every adult citizen the right to vote without unreasonable restrictions, and this includes police officers as citizens. Why do their bosses deny them rights to affiliate in political parties?” Wamae stated.
Article 38
Under Article 38 of the Constitution, every adult Kenyan has the right to make political choices. This includes the freedom to register as a voter, to vote by secret ballot, to be a candidate for public office, or to campaign for a political cause. Police officers are not excluded from these provisions. They have the right to vote during elections as long as they are registered voters. This provision exists to ensure that even uniformed officers remain citizens first.
However, the same Constitution, under Article 239(2)(b), requires national security organs, including the police, to remain impartial and not promote the interests of any political party or cause. This requirement is part of the broader effort to maintain the professionalism and neutrality of the police service.
National Police Service Act
The National Police Service Act, passed in 2011 following the 2010 Constitution reforms, further outlines the limits on political involvement for police officers. According to the law, officers are not allowed to join political parties or take part in political events, campaigns, or recruitment drives. The restriction is meant to protect the integrity of the police force and avoid any appearance of bias.
The reasoning behind the law is that allowing officers to have open political affiliations could lead to abuse of power. Officers might feel pressured to favour politicians they support, or to harass those from rival camps. That would damage public trust and make it harder for the police to do their job fairly.
The current framework is designed to strike a balance; officers can vote quietly and privately, but they cannot openly support a party or take part in political activities.