Introduction

The Kenya Police Service plays an important role in the maintenance of Law and Order, the cornerstone for economic growth and the improvement of quality life in the country. The service has every reason to be proud and grateful for the Skills, dedication and courage of its Officers who over the years have ensured that Kenya remains a haven of peace in the region. Because of the vital roles the Officers play, they must always strive to deliver the best possible services.

Since the appearance of the HIV and AIDS in Kenya in 1984, the pandemic has caused the deaths of many Kenyans. The Police Officers were greatly affected by the disease and a number of officers were either infected or affected. The department has therefore; lost many Officers and they remain vulnerable just like the rest of Kenyans.

As a result of pandemic, many experienced and skilled Officers have lost their lives and as such service delivery to the general public has gone down. More so, resources have been diverted to address the problem. The replacement of the deceased Officers or those affected is a costly exercise and time consuming. Those infected continue to suffer without much assistance or support and this result to stigmatization and discrimination at workplace. The Orphans have dropped out of School and their plight left unaddressed.

The department has conducted countrywide capacity building workshops to sensitize the officers. Peer Education programs have been put in place and over seven hundred officers trained. So far not much has been done in terms of treatment, care and support due to the fact that most of the infected officers have not come up openly or not willing to be tested.

BACKGROUND

Since the appearance of HIV and AIDS in Kenya in 1984, the pandemic has caused the deaths of over two million Kenyans and over 1.5 million people are infected with the virus.

HIV and AIDS present the greatest challenge to the development of our country and have put immense pressure in the Workplace. It has led to loss of skilled and experienced manpower due to deaths, loss of man-hours due to prolonged illness, absenteeism, reduced performance, increased stress, stigma and discrimination.

In response to this calamity, the government declared the pandemic a National disaster in 1999, developed a National Aids Policy and defined an Institutional framework and intensified intervention measures for the prevention, management, control and mitigation of Socio-economic impact of HIV and AIDS.

The Government as a major employer has provided a policy framework for prevention, treatment, care and support of infected or affected officers in the Public Sector to guide respective Ministries and departments to address HIV and AIDS issues.

The department has over forty thousand officers both uniformed and civilians and their families. The officers are spread all over the country.

In March 2004, the Police Department established AIDS Control Unit and several Sub- ACU’s in the Provinces. Several programs have been undertaken and many officers are now sensitized on the pandemic and the prevalence rate has therefore gone down.

Vision

To have healthy and HIV and AIDS free Police officers.

Mission

To create HIV/AIDS awareness, reduce prevalence rate, maintain and sustain positive behavior change, enhance care and support and eliminate stigma and discrimination amongst the Officers and their families.

Goal

To contribute towards the improvement of the quality of life and health of Police Officers, and their families.

Overall Objective

To reduce the spread of new infections, prevalence rate, improve the quality of life of those infected and affected and mitigate the socio-economic impact of the epidemic in Kenya Police Service.

Specific Objectives

Within the community of Police Service, a well managed prevention of new infection, care and support programmes on HIV and AIDS will be as follows;-

The Police AIDS Control Unit has partnership with the following Institutions/Organizations:

ACHIEVEMENTS –AS FROM 2004 TO 2006

The following are the achievements made by the Police ACU for the last three years:-

• Orientation of ACU Members

18 ACU Committee Members have been trained in coordination and Management of HIV and AIDS Programs.

• Orientation of Senior officers

30 senior officers from Police Headquarters, Provinces and Formations attended a four days orientation seminar on HIV and AIDS,

• Launching of Sub-ACU’S

The launching and orientation of six Sub-ACU committee members were conducted in each province/Formation/Division in the country.

• Peer Education on HIV and AIDS

The training of Peer Educators on HIV and AIDS has been continuous and a total of 1200 Officers have so far been trained Countrywide.

• Training of VCT Counselors

A total of 50 Officers drawn from Provinces and Formations of the Department have been trained as VCT counselors. Some of them have been deployed in the existing VCT centres.

• Establishment and Launching of VCT Centres

5 VCT centres have been constructed, equipped and Launched in Nairobi. There are other two small ones at Anti-Stock Theft Unit Gilgil and Kenya Police College Kiganjo. They are fully operational and open to all including members of public.

• Development of Behavior Change Communication Materials (I.E.C.)

The ACU committee members and trainers from Police Training Institutions have developed Behavior Change Communication Materials and 20,000 assorted copies have been distributed to police Stations.

• Acquisition of Protective Materials- Condoms and gloves

Over 500,000 condoms and 100,000 Hand Gloves have been collected from KEMSA/NASCOP and District Hospitals and distributed to stations. The hand gloves and testing kits are regularly collected and distributed to VCT centres.

• Dissemination of Public Sector workplace policy on HIV and AIDS

35 officers (inspectorate and above) drawn from Nairobi Area command and neighboring formations within Nairobi were sensitized by officers from DPM at Kenya Institute of Administration on Workplace Policy on HIV and AIDS.

• Training of Data clerks

4 officers have been trained on data management at CDC/KEMRI

• Mainstreaming of HIV and AIDS Program into core function

Training Curriculum and Guide on HIV and AIDS for the Training Institutions have been developed and 20 Officers from Institutions have been trained as TOTs. Some copies of Curriculum have been distributed to the training Institutions.

• Equipping and furnishing of ACU offices

The ACU offices/Secretariat have been equipped, furnished and are currently operational.

• Monitoring and Evaluation

The monitoring and evaluation exercise was conducted in the Months of January and February 2006 in all the Provinces to
asses progress at the stations in the fight against HIV and AIDS and the performances of Sub-ACU committees.

• Provisions of VCT Counseling and Testing Services

The provision of Voluntary counseling and testing services were provided in the 7 VCT centres as follows;-

The year 2005;-

August - 103
September - 126
October - 125
November - 116
?December - 83

Total 553

The year 2006

1. GSU Head Quarters - 1249
2. GSU Training School - 621
3. Kenya Airports Police - 740
4. Nairobi Area Hqtrs. - 038
5. South B Police Lines - 216
6. Kenya Police College Kiganjo - 747
7. Anti-Stock Theft Unit –Gilgil - 081
8. Nakuru Mobile VCT- (August.2006) - 284
9. Machakos Mobile VCT (Sept.2006) - 247
10. Garissa Mobile VCT (Sept. 2006) - 103
11. Narok Mobile VCT (October-2006) - 295
12. Nyayo Stadium (October 2006) - 245

Total 4,866

GRAND TOTAL 5,419

• Training of Clinical/Nurses

A total of 10 clinical/nurses have been trained by NASCOP/ Ministry of Health in Dispensing or administering ARTs/ ARVS and on Diagnostic counseling and Testing.

• Training of Officers in Handling Rape Survivors

200 Officers have been trained in the management and Handling of Rape Survivors/cases. The trainers were trainers from Nairobi Women Hospital. The training of more officers will continue.

• Orientations of Deputy OCPDs/D/OCS

A total of 237 senior Officers drawn from Police Divisions and Police Stations have attended orientation seminars on HIV and AIDS Programs.

• Peer Educators Supervisors

A total of 90 Officers drawn from all the Provinces/Formations have been trained as Peer Educators Supervisors

• Refresher seminars for Peer Educators

Refresher seminars were conducted -a one week refresher seminar in Western Province attended by 47 officers and a one day seminar in Nakuru attended by 30 officers.

• Awareness Campaigns/Sensitizing Recruits

A total of 3,000 recruits at Police College– Kiganjo and GSU Training School were sensitized on HIV and AIDS and majority volunteered for counseling and testing.

• Construction of a VCT Centre at KPC – Kiganjo

The construction of a VCT centre at Kenya Police College Kiganjo is in progress and the contractor is still on site.

• Development of workstations policy document on HIV and AIDS

The Provincial/ Formation commanders, senior officers at Police Headquarters gave their input and the document has already been developed and editing and printing in progress.

• Treatment, care and support

The officers who have come forward for the drugs have been referred to appropriate referral sites for ARTs /ARVs drugs. The drugs are now offered free of charge in all Government Hospitals. The Ministry of Health has approved our request to stock the drugs at GSU Headquarters Health Centre immediately for the Clients access. Other bigger police dispensaries will collect the drugs from the said facility.

• World AIDS Day – 1st December- 2006

The Police will participate in this years World AIDS Day and arrangements in all the Provinces have been made for the officers to participate. The procurement of T-shirts, banners and caps for use by the officers on that day is in progress.

• Monthly/quarterly meetings with trained Peer Educators

The meetings have been conducted in the Divisions in Coast Province, Western, Eastern Provinces and parts of Rift Valley.

• Establishment of Resource Centre at Police Headquarters

The resource centre has already been established and reading materials- IEC and BCC are stocked for dispatch from time to time to stations. The VCT sites in Nairobi have also been stocked with reading materials. The Police College and Anti-Stock Gilgil VCT sites have also received few reading materials. All the sites have been issued with TV sets and DVD machines.

• Establishment of Data-Base Centre at Police Headquarters

It has already been established and data clerks trained.

• Training of more peer Educators

The training of more Peer Educators was done in September and October 2006 in the following provinces as follows;-

Rift Valley – 60 officers trained as peer educators and 30 officers trained in the management of rape cases in Nakuru, and 30 officers trained as Peer Educators in Eldoret

Coast Province- 60 officers trained as peer educators in Kilifi district-( Officers drawn from- Tana- River,Lamu, Malindi, Kilifi, Kwale and Taita Taveta districts)

• Co-ordination of HIV and AIDS programs/Partnerships

The ACU and Partners are coordinating the programs in the provinces in-conjunction with the Provincial /Divisional Sub- ACU.s. The partners are supporting some of the on going programs- Mobile VCT and Peer Education and Management of Rape Survivors seminars etc.

• Monitoring and Evaluation

The ACU secretariat, Provincial and Divisional Sub- ACU’s Committee members participate in the monitoring and evaluation programs.

• Networking

The Police –ACU- is a member of National AIDS Control Council Net-working committee.

FUTURE PLANS

The Department will continue with more programs in the fight against HIV and AIDS especially in the following areas;-

• Establish and refurbish more VCT centers to in – Nakuru, Kakamega ,Kisumu, Mombasa ,Garissa, Embu, Nyeri, Police Lines and CID Headquarters etc.
• Enhance access to ARTS/ARVS in big health centres and support the infected or affected officers and their families.
• Enhancing the mainstreaming of HIV and AIDS programs into core fuctions.
• Improve behavior change through distribution of bahaviour change communication materials and Information Education communication materials.
• Acquire and continue distributing protective materials- condoms, gloves etc.
• Purchase and distribute condoms dispensers to big stations
• Training of more VCT Counselors and supervisors
• Train more officers in administering and dispensing ART/ ARV drugs
• Strengthen PMCT and TB services at Police dispensaries and VCT centres.
• Provision of more Mobile VCT Services
• Conduct more capacity building programs- peer education etc.
• Enhance the provision of counseling and testing services
• Strengthen some Health facilities to Comprehensive Care Centres
• Improve net-working systems
• Train more data clerks
• Continous monitoring and Evaluation programs in the provinces and districts