Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja was ordered to immediately transfer all accounting and human resource functions of the National Police Service (NPS) to the National Police Service Commission (NPSC).
The directive was issued during a session convened to examine the Report of the Auditor-General on the accounts of the NPS for the Financial Year ending 2023 that had occasioned an audit query on failure of implementation of the Commission mandate.
The directive followed a session where both the NPS and NPSC appeared before the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), chaired by Butere MP Tindi Mwale on Tuesday.
Mwale issued the order after MPs expressed anger over the police’s refusal to hand over key documents.
He directed the IG and the accounting officer of NPS to surrender all accounting documents, including payroll details, to the commission without delay.
“You do not give the commission access but instead hand over all the HR functions to the commission as soon as you get back to the office,” Mwale directed.
The Committee cited Article 246 of the Constitution of Kenya, which expressly mandates the Commission to oversee and manage all human resource functions within the National Police Service.
In his submission to the Committee, the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja refuted claims of non-cooperation with the Commission, stating that the NPS has maintained what he termed a constructive, respectful, and professional working relationship with the NPSC.
“NPS remains committed to continued institutional cooperation and full facilitation of the commission’s work in accordance with the law,” he said.
However, the Committee tasked the Inspector General to explain the continued non-compliance with the Constitution, particularly regarding the retention of payroll functions by the Service. In response, Kanja asserted that the NPS has always provided access to the Commission for human resource audits upon request.
However, Committee members disputed this position, emphasizing that mere access is insufficient.
They underscored the need for the Commission to have full control of the payroll function to effectively discharge its constitutional mandate.
PAC instructed the CEO of NPSC to write to the committee confirming receipt of the documents within two weeks from the date of submission.
The MPs also urged both institutions to work towards a more cordial relationship, stressing that their standoff was affecting the proper functioning of the police service.
Mwale defended the directive, stating that recruitment, promotions, and administrative duties should be handled professionally under the commission’s oversight.
“The relationship between the two should be cordial. To the IG, some of these functions might land you in problems even when they are not yours. Give the commission the functions, and it will improve its effectiveness. Even security in Kenya will improve,” he added.
This followed claims by the commission alleging that the police leadership was blocking its oversight role by denying access to critical payroll records.
During the PAC session held on July 16, NPSC CEO Peter Leley said they had been denied access to audit the payroll, despite an official request by the Auditor General.
Leley told the committee that the commission was unable to verify if its directives on staffing and recruitment had been implemented.
“We are static in accessing the payroll for purposes of auditing to ascertain whether the decisions of the commission have been complied with,” he said.
Mwale directed that the payroll function be handed over to the National Police Service Commission without further delay and that the Commission reports on the progress in the next two weeks.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
