Analysis of the Role of Uniformed National Police Service Women in Counterterrorism in Kenya

Abstract

The study analyzed the role of uniformed National Police Service women in Counterterrorism in Kenya. It was informed by the gradual growth of uniformed police women’s integration in counterterrorism to bring into implementation a defined reality. The empowering of uniformed police women to be critical players in counterterrorism portrayed the improvement of the Police reforms enacted by the Government of Kenya. The study had three objectives: to analyze the initiatives of the National Police Service to integrate women in counterterrorism; secondly, to examine the extent uniformed police women were involved in counterterrorism; and thirdly, to analyze the efficacy of the approaches in ensuring the role of uniformed police women in counterterrorism. Moreover, the research is supported by liberal feminism theory that aims to work on a mainstream framework to incorporate women into the legal and political spaces by understanding and deconstructing the social order. It uncovered the realities of the lack of uniformed police women and, therefore, opted for affirmative actions on structural change through proper legislation. The research design appropriate for the study was a qualitative explanatory design informed by the contribution of key informants from the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit of the National Police Service. Ultimately, these respondents attained various points of view that were beneficial for this research, hence, diversifying the experiences and demands of the uniformed police women and men in counterterrorism scopes. Based on the findings, uniformed police women were not prioritized in attaining roles based on their sex but rank and qualifications.