Imagine waking up one morning and going about your daily duties, and waking up in a hospital bed two days later, disabled or without eyesight.

This is a strange tale of twisted fate of two police officers who were out on their normal duties, but ended up with life changing injuries.

Chief Inspector of Police Boniface Mutua and Corporal Administration Police Julius Karanja were on normal duty on the 27th of December 2019 when the unexpected happened en-route to Wajir East.

“I am spinal injury survivor. I got this three years ago, on 27th December 2019 at a place between Khoro Harar and Kutulo. We were in soft-skinned Land Cruiser and we were on RECCE patrol, and as we were coming back, our vehicle hit an IED,” says Mutua.

“On 27th December 2019, we were to survey a camp that was to start up, and on our way back, our soft-bodied Land Cruiser ran over an IED,” Karanja on his part says.

The two were left with permanent scars. While Mutua is now permanently on a wheelchair, Karanja lost his eyesight.

On Monday, led by the Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome, they were at the Bomas of Kenya to present their memorandum to the task-force on the improvement of the terms of the National Police Service and Kenya Prisons Service chaired by former Chief Justice David Maraga.

Different units of the National Police Service made their presentation to the 23-member task-force.

The bomb disposal unit decried lack of robots to diffuse bombs, telling the task-force that human diffusion is costly and causes death despite cladding the bomb suit.

The National Police Service further implored the task-force to consider procuring Chinese made Armored Personnel Carriers, APC, which they said is in short supply within the service, and which they added is best suited for patrols along Kenya’s porous borders.

Meanwhile the anti-terror police unit called for more funding to procure armoury to fight terror, saying what they use at the moment are donations from allies who support Kenya’s course in the war on terror like the United States of America.

The service further told the task-force the need for the procurement of modern machine guns, saying those in service like the G3 are heavy and need to be phased out.

“Among other things, the objectives of the task-force are to identify legal, policy and institutionalise operational constraints on the effective service delivery of the National Police Service and the Kenya Prisons Service. They are also to review and recommend the terms and conditions of service as well as officers of all cadres of the National Police Service,” Maraga said.

While Philip Ransley’s appointment by late President Mwai Kibaki focused on the examination of policies and institutional frameworks of the police, giving birth to the national police service, the Maraga-led task-force by President Ruto on Monday heard from the hierarchy of the police, with welfare issues and funding for more equipment topping the agenda, for effective, professional, and accountable police service.