• Mutyambai promises to build new police stations, renovate existing ones, turn them into centres of service delivery
• Pledges commitment to fight graft in service and to empower IAU to deal with corrupt ones
Image: FAITH MUTEGI
The new Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai yesterday pledged to ensure that his officers respect human rights and constitutional freedoms of civilians.
He also promised them promotions and better remuneration during his tenure.
Mutyambai's assurance comes at a time of sustained extrajudicial execution of suspects by police officers.
But Mutyambai vowed to defend the rights of his charges who discharge their duties appropriately. He promised improved service delivery.
"I will endeavour to make sure all officers respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms as enshrined in the Constitution. Police officers have rights too, which must be respected," Mutyambai said.
"I will stand by officers who discharge their duties fairly and firmly without fear, favour or ill-will but I will equally deal with those who abuse the police powers."
He declared commitment to tackling corruption within the National Police Service and vowed to empower the Internal Affairs Unit to deal with the corrupt cops.
The unit has been sharing offices with the IG which made its independence questionable until it was moved out of Jogoo House last year. Mutyambai said the IAU will be decentralised and will operate in the regions and counties.
The IG said he will initiate a system that will enhance accountability and responsibility within the NPS and expand the independence of the IAU to investigate corruption cases within the service.
"The NPS will play our enforcement role in a non-partisan manner guided by high fidelity to the law. I call upon all officers to remember and uphold the oath they undertook to be faithful to the law and uphold integrity," he said.
Mutyambai said he is committed to completing the reforms process initiated by his predecessor Joseph Boinnet, especially the harmonisation of the NPS command structure at the ward level.
The reorganisation is meant to bring officers from Kenya Police and Administration Police services under general duties in a single command to improve administrative service delivery. It is also meant to eliminate duplication of services.
The IG said he will improve the NPS information management system which digitises the occurrence book and case files management system.
This will enable members of the public to track the process of their complaints and enable them to give us feedback and compliments, he said.
"I want to continue the transformation and enhancing police service delivery at the grassroots, and I will be keen to transform each police station into a centre of service delivery and policing services," the IG said.
"We will endeavour to build new police stations and renovate the old ones to meet the modern policing standards."
Mutyambai's promise of better remuneration is the best news for cops.
More than 3,000 officers aggrieved by delayed salary review after submitting degree certificates to the NPS commission have sued their employer.
"I will deal with the backlog of promotion, discipline, stagnation, and matters of transfers. Upon consultation with the NPSC, we will give priority to resolution of these issues," he said.
"I will consult the NPSC and engage the Salaries and Remuneration Commission on issues of house allowances so that officers can live in decent and affordable houses in our neighbourhoods."
He said he is committed to ensuring the NPS Referral Hospital is constructed and be operational as soon as possible.