President William Ruto Tuesday ordered that the Inspector General of Police will be independent and allowed to manage funds for the National Police Service.
In his inauguration speech on Tuesday, the President said the independence and autonomy of the NPS has been undermined by the current scenario. The IG has been getting his funds through the Office of the President.
He was expected to sign instruments making the IG the accounting officer of the NPS.
“This situation is going to change," Ruto said. "I have instructed that the instruments conferring financial autonomy on the NPS by transferring their budget from the Office of the President and designating the IG as the accounting officer be placed on my desk for signature this afternoon,” he said.
He said financial independence of the police will be an impetus to the fight against corruption and end the political weaponisation of the police.
The President said the service in the past has been misused for political expediency because it relied on the OP for funding.
Police and Prisons services' budgets decreased by Sh8.4 billion from last year’s Sh110.6 billion to the current 102.2 billion
A past attempt to make the IG’s office independent by making him the accounting officer failed. The plans included putting the IG on the level of a Principal Secretary and ensuring they got funding directly from the Treasury.
The functions of the IG are important for the overall command of the National Police Service. The Kenyan Constitution establishes the office the Inspector General of Police in Kenya in Article 245.
The president appoints the IG with the approval of Parliament.
The person should exercise independent command over the National Police Service and perform any other functions prescribed by national legislation.
The National Police Service Act contains further provisions of the powers and functions of the Inspector General in Kenya.
The IG is appointed for a single, four-year term and is not eligible for reappointment. The term of the current IG Hillary Mutyambai ends in April next year. He is recovering from a stroke.
Independent command means the IG should be responsible for all matters relating to the command and discipline of the National Police Service.
This is subject to the disciplinary control of the National Police Service Commission, of which he is a member.
The Cabinet secretary responsible for police services, the Interior CS, may lawfully give a direction to IG with respect to any matter of policy.
No one, however, can direct the IG with respect to investigation of any particular offence or offences, enforcing the law against any particular person or persons or employment, assignment, promotion, suspension or dismissal of any member of the service.
Any direction given to the IG by the Interior CS or the Diector of Public Prosecutions should be in writing.
(Edited by V. Graham)
