President Uhuru Kenyatta has called on Kenyans to support the police and other security agencies in maintaining law and order saying the officers are doing a great job of keeping the country safe.

At the same time, the Head of State reiterated his administration’s commitment to ensuring that the National Police Service (NPS) is adequately resourced to effectively and efficiently discharge its solemn mandate.

“Police officers are not enemies. They are our friends. It is upon us, as citizens to obey the law and do what we are directed to do in line with the law. If we continue that way, I am confident that our nation will be safe and prosperous,” the President said.

President Kenyatta spoke Tuesday afternoon in Ngong, Kajiado County where he presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the National Police Leadership Academy.

The construction of the academy will take one year at an approximate cost of Kshs 1 billion and is being financed by the Central Bank of Kenya as part of long and broad symbiotic partnership between the NPS and financial institution.

The ultra-modern facility, to be constructed on an 18-acre parcel of public land within Embulbul township, will include accommodation facilities for 220 persons, lecture rooms, an auditorium with a seating capacity of 450 people, kitchen and dining amenities as well as sports and recreational facilities.

The President noted that the construction of the leadership academy is part of ongoing reforms in the police service to make it more effective, efficient and responsive to the demands of 21st century law enforcement.

“On assumption of the leadership of our country, my Administration adopted a comprehensive reform program for the security sector which was intended to reposition it to serve Kenyans better.

“Since then, we have improved the funding of the police security sub-sector two-fold in addition to significantly promoting the welfare and capabilities of the security sector,” the President noted.

He outlined the acquisition of over 3,000 leased police vehicles, the construction and equipping of a modern forensic laboratory and recruitment of more officers as some of the milestones achieved in reforming the law enforcement agency.

The President hailed the partnership between NPS and the Central Bank of Kenya in setting up the college saying the initiative is a good example of how the whole-of-Government approach is working under his Administration

“Today’s occasion is the most recent evidence of how Government institutions can come together to build synergy and enhance service delivery,” the Head of State said.

President Kenyatta pointed out that the Government has also placed emphasis on multi-agency approaches to security management by clearing the structural bottlenecks that hampered the seamless delivery of security services in the past.

“In the recent past, I have commissioned the National Air Support Department and the National Security Telecommunications Service, which are initiatives aimed at harmonizing and enhancing efficiency of our multi-agency security operations,” the President said.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i, who also spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony, thanked President Kenyatta for advancing a wide range of reforms that have boosted the effectiveness of the country’s security sector.

“For the last three years, Your Excellency, you have been implementing a very transformative agenda in terms of how the police are going to be managed and equipped to work and deliver results,” Dr Matiang’i said.

Central Bank of Kenya Governor Dr Patrick Njoroge and NPS Inspector General Hilary Mutyambai also spoke at the event attended by Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku among other local leaders and senior Government officials.