The Impact Of Hiv And Aids On Service Delivery In The Kenya Police

ABSTRACT

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

(AIDS) are not simply a health issue but a substantial threat to security and socioeconomic

development, imposing a heavy burden on families, communities, economies

and governments. HIV and AIDS affect people mainly in their prime ages, between 15

and 49 years. The majority of the Kenya Police are under 45 years and falls in the most

sexually active years. In Kenya, 75% of all Police deaths in 1999 were attributed to

HIV and AIDS. Studies on HIV and AIDS have not addressed the Kenya Police, yet

they are in the frontline, dealing with key groups that are vulnerable to high level of

HIV. These groups include commercial female sex workers (FSWs), trafficked women

and children, children living and working on the streets, detainees, intravenous drug

users (IDUs), illegal immigrants, stigmatized groups such as men having sex with men

(MSM) and People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The objective of the study is to

determine the impact of HIV and AIDS on service delivery in the Kenya Police and

involves the determination of relationship between an explanatory variable (the

prevalence of HIV and AIDS) and a response variable (service delivery in the Kenya

Police). Two main methods, questionnaires (structured and unstructured) and key

informant interviews were used in data collection. An updated nominal roll of the

stratified sampled Police stations was ascertained. Weighted criteria was used to ensure

that selected stations were apportioned the right number of officers for interview based

on the station strength. The study employed simple random sampling method to select

the respondents at the station level. Secondary data were obtained from libraries at

Police headquarters, Regional Aids Training Network (RATN) and African Medical

Research Foundation (AMREF) among other sources. Ethical issues such as

confidentiality of the respondents were adequately addressed by seeking their consent.

Data were coded, entered into database and analysed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS

software. Continuous variables were analysed by Chi- Square Tests and p values < 0.05

were considered significant. Majority of the officers (354) were in the age range 18 –

45 years. Out of 295 who had tested to know their HIV status, 27(7%) was HIV

positive. About 53.8% officers indicated that service delivery is compromised when on

duty with an infected colleague while 66.7% of the infected indicating poor

performance. To improve on the quality of service delivered, the Police need to put up

own hospital to manage the healthcare support of officers and obtain better data on the

epidemiology of HIV and AIDS among Police officers. These will enhance control and

prevention measures and not just treatment.