The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland (PONI) has hosted a delegation from Kenya's Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) as part of a four-day visit to the United Kingdom aimed at exchanging expertise and strengthening independent scrutiny of policing.

The delegation arrived on Monday and met the recently appointed Police Ombudsman, Jacqui Durkin, beginning a schedule of engagements with the Office's Executive Leadership Team and other staff.

Across the next two days, the IPOA team received briefings and took part in discussions on the Office's history and development, investigations practice, governance arrangements, stakeholder engagement and institutional independence.

They will also hear about the Office's work on Abuse of Position for Sexual Purposes (APSP), communications and statistics strategy, intelligence and analysis, and a series of investigations case studies.

The visit is designed to support professional exchange and mutual learning, allowing both organisations to share experiences of delivering independent oversight in different legal, constitutional and historical contexts.

Ms Durkin said: "I am delighted to extend a warm welcome to the IPOA and the valuable opportunity to learn from each other over the next two days.

"While our jurisdictions differ, we share many common goals to improve policing through independent oversight and effective investigation that has the confidence of both the public and police. We are stronger when we learn together and from each other." As part of the wider programme, the delegation will meet representatives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Policing Board, Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland, Fiosrú, the Policing and Community Safety Authority from Ireland, and other stakeholders involved in policing accountability and criminal justice oversight. The itinerary also includes a courtesy call on the High Commissioner of Kenya to the United Kingdom.

Welcoming the visit, Justice Minister Naomi Long said: "I am certain the IPOA delegation will have a very informative and constructive visit, learning more about Northern Ireland's unique policing and accountability arrangements.

"Independent oversight is a cornerstone of modern democratic policing, ensuring that law enforcement organisations are held to the highest ethical standards. I am confident that the IPOA visit will provide an excellent opportunity for the exchange of experiences and good practice."

Both organisations acknowledged that, while Kenya and Northern Ireland operate in different environments, they face shared challenges in promoting accountability, safeguarding institutional independence, addressing public concerns about police conduct and maintaining public trust.

Dr Duncan Oburu Ojwang, Chairperson of the IPOA, said: "We recognise that democracy is a continuous process of learning and improvement.

"Through our engagement with the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland we seek to gain valuable insights into strengthening police oversight, accountability, and public trust.

"Our goal is to continuously improve the relationship between the police and the communities they serve."

The visit underlines the important contribution of independent police oversight bodies to democratic governance, the rule of law and the protection of human rights.