Lack of political goodwill delayed key appointments

By Isaiah Lucheli

Despite clear time lines for the appointment of the Inspector General of police (IG) the process has been delayed by over one year due to wrangles and lack of political goodwill.

Wrangles between coalition Principals over appointment of members to the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) contributed to the delay in the appointment of the IG and his two deputies- one in charge of the Administration Police and the other, Kenya Police Service.

The swearing in of the NPSC members by the Chief Justice Willy Mutunga this week paves way for these appointments. The newly appointed members of the board are Johnson Kavuludi (chairman), and members Shadrack Mutia, Mary Owuor, Murshid Muhammed, Ronald Musengi and Esther Chui-Columbani.

This being an election year, the delay in expediting the appointment of the IG is set to have serious implications on policing, merging of the Kenya Police and Administration Police under one command, and the much awaited vetting process.

In the 2007 elections, the APs and regular police were taking instructions from different commands and this led to the two forces working at cross purposes, with one being accused of having participated in vote rigging.

According to Usalama reform forum who were part of the team that drafted the Police Service Bills, security during the election period would be managed more competently and effectively if the IG is in office as this would put the two forces under one command. Usalama coordinator Philip Onguje says that the appointment of the IG would be the main step in enhancing effective reforms in the police, including the impending vetting exercise in the service and putting the two forces under one command.

“After the appointment of the IG it would set the reform process rolling.

New standing orders would be issued which would see the two forces working under one command and also the vetting process would start in earnest,” says Mr Onguje.

“Failure by MPs mid last year to pass the NPSC bill in Parliament alongside the National Police Service (NPS) Bill occasioned the first delay in the process of the recruitment of the IG as stipulated in the constitution,” says Onguje.

Recruitment of the commissioners to the NPSC is the first step in the eventual recruitment of the IG and his two deputies but the process has encountered many hitches.

For instance, when the term of the chairman of the selection panel Hassan Omar and a commissioner Okong’o Omogeni lapsed, it took over three months to fill their positions.

However, Onguje explained that the ball was in the court of the NPSC members and noted that the chairman had promised to expedite appointment of the IG. The chairman of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority Macharia Njeru told The Standard that appointment of the NPSC members was long overdue and noted the delay was not good for the country’s security system.

Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution chairman Charles Nyachae has reiterated that the current police commanders were in office illegally and noted that the delay in the appointment of the NPSC members had dragged the process of appointing the new office bearers.