Former police spokesperson Charles Owino has controversially claimed that the tragic 2007/08 post-election violence (PEV), which resulted in over 1,000 deaths, was a "blessing in disguise" for police reforms in Kenya.

• The PEV provided the urgent impetus for reforms, despite a 2004 strategic plan recommending changes that had remained unimplemented.
• Owino, now Director General of the National Council on Correctional Services, highlighted that the crisis led to the establishment of the Waki and Kriegler commissions.
• The reforms ultimately led to the creation of the National Police Service (NPS), the Office of the Inspector General, and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) under the 2010 Constitution.