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Rising crime is swamping the police doctors


The upsurge in crime has overwhelmed police doctors. As a result, victims cannot get quick justice.

The answer according to the county’s chief police doctor is to hire more to enable the quick processing of crucial documents for prosecution.

P3 forms

Dr Zephania Mwangi Kamau said in the 24 years he had served as the officer in charge of issuing Kenya Police Medical Examination forms- commonly known as P3 forms- he had seen crime rate increase threefold.

“When I reported from Kiganjo in April 1990, the annual number of cases stood at around 10,000. Last year we had 38,069 reported case,” said Dr Kamau.

He said the number might be higher this year. Since January at least 7,939 cases had been reported.

Most of them comprised assault and road accidents, according to Dr Kamau who has since risen to the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police. 

He said on a normal day, he handled an average of 150 cases. 

When this reporter went to his offices at Traffic Department headquarters in Upper Hill at midday, he had cleared at least 121 assault cases, 19 road accidents, two rapes as well as sodomy cases.

The medical reports give prosecutors the go ahead to start prosecution of suspects. They are relied on by various police stations around the county.

Expert witness

But the work of the 50-year-old doctor does not end with his reports. He has to go to courts to appear as an expert witness against suspects.

On a normal day he makes a minimum of six court appearances. Often he has to run from Milimani to Kibera and Makadara courts.

Last year he fell sick and was away for weeks. There was a public outcry as victims of crime could not be attended to get the P3 form. Two more doctors were hired. But Dr Kamau said the task was still too heavy for the three of them.