The National Police Service Commission (NPSC) has nullified promotions made by Inspector General Japhet Koome on Monday, June 5. The NPSC’s chairman, Eliud Kinuthia, said that Koome circumvented the commission’s mandated duties.
Resila Onyango, National Police Service Spokesman, and Nairobi Regional Commander Adamson Bungei were both elevated to Assistant Inspector General of Police by Koome (AIP).
Eliud Lagat, Commandant of the General Service Unit, and David Birech, Director of the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU), have both been appointed to Senior Assistant Inspector General of Police (S/AIG).
Simultaneously, Mombasa and Eastern Regional Commanders Tom Kimani and Joseph Napeiyan were promoted to AIG. Police headquarters announced the promotions, with the names slated to be forwarded to the National Police Service Commission for ratification.
The commission accused IG of usurping its human resource functions before the National Assembly’s Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC) on Friday, June 2.
The NPSC claimed that it could not effectively carry out its mandate because Koome refused to follow its resolutions.
According to NPSC Chief Executive Peter Leley, Koome must follow the legal policy and the institutional regulatory framework that governs the team’s human resource activities.
“The Inspector General of Police has severally cited Article 245(4) of the Constitution as the reason for not implementing decisions of the commission on recruitment, appointments, confirmation in appointments, dismissal, transfers and promotions,” the commission told the House.
The Kenyan Constitution established the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) as an independent commission to govern the National Police Service (NPS).
The President appoints nine commissioners to the NPSC. It is in charge of police officer recruiting, vetting, training, promotion, discipline, and welfare.
It also has the authority to investigate police officer complaints and recommend disciplinary action. With the disbandment of the Kenya Police Service and the Kenya Administration Police Service in 2010, the NPSC was formed to professionalize the police force and increase its responsibility to the public.
