The National Assembly’s Committee on Implementation and Oversight of the Constitution (CIOC), chaired by MP Caroli Omondi, resolved to summon the Inspector General of Police (IG), Douglas Kanja, citing a “continuous trend of ignoring the Committee’s invitations.”
The lawmakers say this undermines Parliament’s constitutional mandate.
In a press briefing at Bunge Tower, Omondi and other Committee members faulted Kanja for failing to honor several invitations.
They noted that he risks inheriting a culture of non-compliance to legislative oversight—a pattern witnessed during the tenure of his predecessors.
“This will no longer be business as usual,” cautioned Hon. Omondi. “It’s been 15 years since the promulgation of the Constitution, and police reforms still lag behind. Oversight is not optional,” he asserted.
The IG had earlier communicated through the Speaker of the National Assembly, requesting that the meeting with the lawmakers be deferred for 21 days.
Kanja cited the recent appointment of a new chairperson for the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) as a reason, noting that both his office and the Commission required more time to engage constructively and seek an amicable resolution to the issues under scrutiny.
“The late communication by the IG is in itself an insult to the Committee,” stated MP Umulkher Harun.
“It shows that as a Committee, we are not taken seriously,” she added.
Additionally, the IG requested that the meeting be held in camera when it is eventually convened, due to what he termed the “sensitive nature of the matter.”
The Committee, while expressing disappointment, reluctantly accepted the postponement, but denied the IG the full 21-day grace period. Instead, the lawmakers directed that Kanja appears without fail on September 16, 2025.
“We do not have the luxury of time,” stated MP Geoffrey Mulanya, a Committee member. “This matter needs to be dealt with once and for all,” he held.
The Committee also rejected the IG’s request for a closed-door meeting, insisting that the issue at hand is of national importance and must be conducted publicly.
“This Committee operates under the principles of transparency and public accountability,” added Chairman Omondi.
“We will not allow critical matters of national interest to be shrouded in secrecy.”
The Committee is now scheduled to meet the IG and the Commission on September 16 to address the issue of the payroll for police officers, among other issues
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