Lehokela Application: Advancing Community-Driven Crime Prevention and Peacebuilding in Lesotho

Lesotho is taking a bold step towards modern, community-centred policing with the launch of the Lehokela Application, a digital innovation designed to strengthen communication within communities and between the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS), Crime Prevention Committees (CPCs), and community members. The platform enables real-time, accurate reporting of crime and violence, supporting timely and coordinated responses while enhancing trust and collaboration between law enforcement and the public.

The Peacebuilding Fund (PBF)–supported project, Supporting Community‑Driven Violence Reduction and Sustainable Peace in Lesotho, places strong emphasis on community policing as a practical, modern, and sustainable approach to crime prevention. By positioning communities as active partners rather than passive recipients of security services, the project marks a clear shift away from traditional policing models that relied solely on trained police personnel. The first activity of the project reviews the mandate of the National Policing Unit housed within the LMPS, with the aim of developing a clear and forward‑looking strategic plan. This effort not only strengthens the Unit’s strategic direction but also aligns with the LMPS Community Policing Policy, particularly its vision to transition from manual processes to more responsive and efficient digital policing systems.

The Launch of the Lehokela Application and LMPS strategic documents 

The project supported the official launch and rollout of the Lehokela App on 9 April 2026. Originally conceived in 2019 by the UNDP Lesotho Accelerator Lab as an experimental innovation, the App addresses fragmented crime reporting, delays in police response, and limited feedback between citizens and law enforcement. It also seeks to enhance community safety while building trust and accountability between the police and the communities they serve. The App adds significant value by hosting critical features, including modules for reporting cases of gender‑based violence (GBV) and human trafficking. As such, it serves as an important platform that strengthens and streamlines the reporting of some of the most prevalent and deeply concerning crimes affecting communities across Lesotho.

The launch also ushered in four key strategic documents designed to shape the future of the LMPS. These include a comprehensive strategic plan, a sub‑strategy on community policing, a digital transformation policy, and a digital strategy. Together, the documents provide a coherent roadmap for the organisation, with the strategic plan serving as the overarching blueprint for LMPS’ policing direction. The digital policy and strategy integrate technology into day‑to‑day policing, positioning digitalisation as a modern operational tool aimed at strengthening the LMPS’ capacity and expanding its footprint in the fight against crime. 

These documents have been carefully developed to articulate and coordinate the broader mandate of LMPS, while embedding transformative reforms aimed at modernising the organisation. Collectively, they are designed to strengthen coordination, improve alignment across initiatives, and ensure the sustainability of strategic interventions. Ultimately, these efforts seek to enhance the effectiveness of policing and contribute to a sustained reduction in crime nationwide.

An Epitome of Collaboration

The App stands as a strong testament to effective multi‑stakeholder collaboration. Its development exemplified a well‑coordinated partnership across development partners, academia, and the private sector, seamlessly spanning the stages of conception, piloting, and full rollout.

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at the National University of Lesotho (NUL) and Econet Telecom Lesotho (ETL) partnered with UNDP Lesotho through the Accelerator Lab throughout the app’s development, with each partner making a distinct and valuable contribution. NUL and the UNDP Accelerator Lab played a central role in the design and development of the application, while ETL enhanced inclusivity and reach by zero‑rating the platform, enabling free access for users across digital devices.

UN Resident Coordinator, Ms. Taija Kontinen-Sharp, hands over the LMPS Strategic documents to LMPS Chief of Police, Advocate Borotho Matsoso

The simulation process during the launch

A key highlight of the launch was a live simulation exercise, during which fourteen CPCs’ members from the villages of Qoaling and Ha-Thetsane in the Maseru District demonstrated the practical use of the App. The two communities are among those adversely affected by high levels of crime. Through the simulation, participants showcased how the App can be used to report incidents of violence and crime and to raise an alarm when under attack, underscoring its potential as a vital tool for community safety.

Gratitude to PBF 

On acknowledging the PBF support, the LMPS Chief of Police, Advocate Borotho Matsoso, hailed the launch as a major milestone in strengthening community policing and setting a clear strategic direction for the organisation. He described the initiative as a turning point capable of reinvigorating the policing sector in Lesotho. The Chief of Police called on LMPS management and officers to fully embrace the new frameworks as guiding instruments that will shift the service from being reactive followers to proactive trendsetters in the fight against crime. He further credited the PBF for helping to identify critical areas requiring intervention, which he said would lead to comprehensive transformation across all aspects of policing. “With all the tools now at our disposal, there is nothing that should hold us back,” he said.

The UN Resident Coordinator in Lesotho, Ms. Taija Kontinen‑Sharp, expressed sincere appreciation to all stakeholders who contributed to the development of the Lehokela App and the strategic documents, from their inception to their completion as key instruments guiding the work of the LMPS. She emphasized the importance of the PBF’s investment in reaching communities, particularly hard‑to‑reach populations, as primary beneficiaries of peacebuilding initiatives. She further reaffirmed the UN’s unwavering support to LMPS management in the implementation of the frameworks and the App.

Drawing from the mandate of the PBF, the Acting Resident Representative of UNDP Lesotho, Dr. Taye Amssalu, underscored that peacebuilding is a noble and essential undertaking, noting that sustainable development can only flourish in a peaceful environment. He observed that the value of peace is often fully recognised only in its absence, a reality reflected in many conflict-affected contexts. Dr Taye therefore called on all stakeholders to fully utilise the project by committing their time and resources to the construction and preservation of lasting peace.

Inferring from the significance of this groundbreaking dual launch and the optimism demonstrated by LMPS management, it can be concluded that these interventions were introduced at a critical juncture, one in which the organisation was both ready and willing to transform its operations. As such, the PBF investment in reducing violence and promoting sustainable peace in Lesotho can be regarded as both timely and highly worthwhile.