The Efficacy of Forensic Techniques in Providing Admissible Evidence in Homicide Investigations in Kisumu County; Kenya.
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Date
2025-02
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Kenyatta University
Abstract
Forensic science is increasingly being used by law enforcement organizations to help solve crimes and get convictions, as well as in the Criminal Justice System to adjudicate specific criminal cases such as homicides. However, there has been little scholarly discussion of the effectiveness of forensic procedures in delivering admissible evidence for homicide prosecutions in Kenya. This study has therefore assessed the efficacy of forensic procedures in delivering acceptable evidence in homicide investigations in Kisumu County, Kenya. The study was anchored on Locard's Principle theory and The Actor Network Theory. The objectives of this study were as follows: to assess the effectiveness of DNA sampling procedures in providing admissible evidence in homicide investigations within Kisumu County; to examine the use of toxicology in providing admissible evidence in homicide investigations within Kisumu County; to establish the efficacy of Fingerprinting in providing admissible evidence in homicide investigations within Kisumu County; and to investigate the challenges facing homicide investigators. The study was carried out using an ex-post facto research design. The targeted population was the DCI officers and court prosecutors working in Kisumu County. The study used a census method to choose all 110 DCI officers in Kisumu County to participate. Prosecutors in Kisumu County, Kenya, were chosen via purposive selection. Questionnaires were the main method of data collection. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics specifically linear regression aided by Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. To describe the research findings, descriptive statistics in the form of measures of central tendency (frequency, mean, median, mode, and percentages) and measures of dispersion (range and standard deviations) was employed. The efficacy of forensic techniques on evidence admissibility was examined using inferential statistics, specifically Linear regression at 5% significance levels. Regression analyses uncovered positive relationships between dependent and independent variables. Multiple linear regression analysis predicted that these factors collectively accounted for 61.3 % a significant portion of the variability in Evidence Quality; affirming their strength in providing admissible evidence for homicide cases. Specifically, DNA Sampling Procedures (B = 0.304), the Use of Toxicology (B = 0.299), and Fingerprinting Efficacy (B = 0.354) all demonstrated positive coefficients, indicating that improvements on them leads to admissible evidence. On the other hand, Challenges (B = 0.374) carry a positive coefficient, suggesting that an increase in challenges faced during forensic investigations corresponds to a decrease in the quality of admissible evidence. Equally, the Challenges were found to be limiting in obtaining admissible evidence significantly. Based on the findings, the study recommends that the DCI Kisumu County work with the DCI headquarters, NPS and the national government to address the challenges to ensure the DCI investigators using forensic techniques obtain admissible evidence, to help in timely clearance of homicide cases.
Description
A Research Project Submitted to the Department of Security, Diplomacy and Peace Studies, School of Law, Arts And Social Sciences, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Award of Master of Arts Degree in Security Management and Police Studies, of Kenyatta University.
Supervisors;
1.Merecia Anne Sirera