By Muthoni Maina
The National Police Service (NPS) has established guidelines for social media usage as part of its efforts to explore alternative methods for disseminating information to the public.
Employees are encouraged to forward any potentially sensitive information to the media relations officer at their respective Service headquarters for assessment and official posting on social media platforms, rather than risk inadvertently sharing inappropriate, confidential, or sensitive content.
In addition to social media, the NPS is considering various other avenues for public information dissemination, including community newsletters, government-access cable television shows, websites, public appearances by agency members, and public bulletin boards.
Social media groups must be managed by recognized administrators and registered with the respective Service headquarters.
Police officers are expected to refrain from associating with individuals or groups engaged in activities contrary to the NPS’s law enforcement role.
When contacted by the media regarding social media posts related to the Service, officers should consult with superiors and the police media relations office before responding.
“Employees shall not, in their capacity as national police employees purport to make any official comment in social media about any incident, police policy or procedure without prior authorization and in accordance with the media policy,” read the statement in part from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
The logos of the NPS, Kenya Police Service, and Administration Police Service should only be used for official communication purposes as outlined in the communications and brand manual.
As public citizens, police personnel have the right to engage in public debates and discuss social and economic issues, provided they avoid referencing matters of employment.
“Members of the Service shall not refer to their position or profession when expressing an opinion or participating in public debate in a private capacity and any comments shall not be seen to represent the National Police Service, Administration Police Service, Kenya Police Service, Directorate of Criminal Investigations in part, or to compromise the officers’ ability to serve the government of the day in a politically neutral manner,” noted the DCI on X.
On the line of activity, every police officer should be honest and their activities should reflect the values, the good and reputation of the police service. When in a private setting, they should be clear on the post that it’s a personal opinion.
Employees are subject to disciplinary procedures if they post offensive, racist, tribal, or obscene material.