Kenya had a significant drop in key crime and justice indices in 2024, indicating a year of modest progress in law enforcement, child protection, and the judiciary.
According to current data, as seen in the Economic Survey by the country’s national bureau of statistics (KNBS), the overall number of offenses recorded by police has reduced by 3.5%, to 101,200.
This decrease shows a gradual change toward better public safety and more effective crime prevention measures.
Additionally, the Department of Children Services also recorded a remarkable 10.8% decrease in child protection cases, which decreased to 169,300 this year.
This decrease, however, is attributable to increased public awareness, community initiatives, and stronger family support networks throughout the country.
“The total number of child protection cases reported to the Department of Children Services declined by 10.8 per cent to 169.3 thousand in 2024,” the report states.
“Police recovered 4,548 rounds of ammunition and seized 26.9 tonnes of dangerous drugs during the review period. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission traced assets worth KSh 16.0 billion, out of which assets worth KSh 2.9 billion were recovered during the review period,” it adds.
The report also highlighted the behaviour of the country’s prison system, noting that the police apprehended 534 youngsters and 1,069 foreign nationals in the year under review.
Meanwhile, the number of offenders receiving probation terms fell by 27.4% to 5,912, indicating that non-custodial punishment is being used less or that criminal trends and case results have shifted.
A more detailed look into the survey showed that personnel ratios in the justice system have varied results.
The police-to-civilian ratio fell from 1:479 to 1:512, indicating an increased burden for cops.
In contrast, the jail officer-to-inmate ratio improved from 1:8 to 1:7, while the probation officer-to-offender ratio increased from 1:12 to 1:10.
These changes may help the rehabilitation and management of criminals, particularly those serving non-custodial sentences.
Furthermore, in 2024, the State Department for Refugee Services had registered 823.9 thousand refugees and asylum seekers, of whom 50.5% were from Dadaab Camp. As of June 2024, 602.1 thousand PWDs were registered with the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD).
