Nairobi — A taskforce mandated to review and propose changes in the police force has finally handed over its report to the Government, which swiftly pledged to act on all the recommendations.

Police reform is one of the tasks the Coalition Government undertook to carry out under Agenda Four agreed upon to end the chaos after the last General Election. Policemen acted badly before, during and after the elections and were part of the chaos.

Not only that, the police force has been a subject of derision because of the unprofessional conduct of most members, ranging from corruption to human rights abuses, which, cumulatively, make it a veritable impediment to good governance.

Even so, there are overriding factors that make the police officers behave the way they do. They work under harsh conditions, get poor pay, and operate without adequate tools of trade such as vehicles. Moreover, they are routinely used by the ruling elite to carry out irregular, and sometimes, illegal tasks.

Thus, redeeming the force requires a comprehensive strategy, which is what the taskforce headed by retired judge Philip Ransley has provided. Certainly, there are questions about some of the proposals, such as the viability of retaining two parallel units -- regular and administration police -- without creating tension between them.

Also, creating new structures like the National Policing Council or the Police Service Commission raises questions about command structures and risks of having too many redundant institutions.

Notwithstanding that, the key challenge is to give the police force a new sheen. So far, a new police commissioner has been appointed, who, in turn, promised to change the force's image. The jury is not yet out.

With this report out, there is no reason the Government should hesitate to make far reaching changes in the force. That is the only way of redeeming it.