CHRI has worked in police reform in East Africa since 2001. CHRI focuses on programmes to enhance human rights based, democratic, professional policing in East Africa, on both a regional and country-specific level.
Regional
CHRI works with the countries of the East African Community (EAC) on regional strategies to improve policing practices. CHRI has worked with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, the founding members of the EAC, since 2001. In July 2009, Rwanda and Burundi joined the EAC, and CHRI’s regional programme expanded to include these countries.
Our regional work includes:
Collaboration with EAC Peace and Security Secretariat in relation to harmonized police Standard Operating Procedures: this project has followed on from the adoption of the summarized Common Standards for Policing in East Africa, with some amendments, by the Police Chiefs of the EAC. CHRI and the African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum (APCOF) have been assisting the EAC Peace and Security Secretariat, and key police officers from EAC states, in preparing police standard operating procedures that would be used across the EAC, as a way to harmonise police processes, and improve professional, human-rights based policing. This project is ongoing.
Common Standards for Policing in East Africa 2010: CHRI in partnership with APCOF, and in collaboration with the East Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation prepared the Common Standards for Policing in East Africa. The common standards are a composite of the international and regional framework for human rights, policing and security, with a particular focus on the instruments of the United Nations, African Union and EAC that are common to the five states of the EAC. The report involved a combination of desktop research and consultation with key stakeholders in the EAC.
Tools for civil society: CHRI have prepared information briefs on the criminal justice related recommendations made to each of the EAC states at the United Nations.
Reports: In 2014 CHRI launched a seminal report ‘A Force for Good? Improving the Police in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda’. The report analyses developments, challenges and ways forward for police reform in three East African countries.
General advocacy: CHRI undertake advocacy on particular issues across the region, directly with members of parliament and through publishing media articles in the leading regional and national newspapers .
Country specific
CHRI carry out country-specific police reform projects in: