There was drama in Parliament on Friday after both the National Police Service Commission and Inspector General of Police claimed budgets for the recruitment of law enforcement officers.
On Friday, NPSC chief executive Peter Lely and Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome tabled parallel budget lines before MPs, signalling internal wars between the two agencies.
National Police Service (NPS) and the commission had been embroiled in protected squabbles regarding the interpretation of their mandates.
Leley pleaded with MPs to give the commission the Sh150 million for the recruitment of police officers, citing Article 246 of the Constitution, which gives them the mandate of hiring law enforcers.
Constitutionally, NPSC is mandated to handle the human resource management function of members of the National Police Service.
“We intend to recruit and train 15,000 police officers,” Koome told the committee.
Leley protested NPS’ claim on the recruitment, saying the IG should restrict himself to operational functions.
“We don’t want the operations money and any other, but we plead with this committee to give the hiring budget to the commission,” Leley told the committee chaired by Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo.
According to the estimates, the service intends to recruit 10,000 police constables for Sh150 million.
“To carry out this recruitment exercise effectively, the commission estimates that it will require funds amounting to Sh150 million,” Leley added.
“This funding is necessary to cover various expenses associated with the recruitment process, including logistics, personnel, training facilities, equipment and administrative costs.”
MPs questioned who to deal with after both made a case for the hiring budget.
Kisumu West MP Rosa Buyu asked who the committee should engage on the recruitment budget between the two agencies.
“Where do we consider the recruitment of 10,000 officers? It appears in two places,” she asked.
The recruitment is meant to address gaps and shortfalls in NPS caused by exits and natural attrition.
Koome and Lelely were defending budgets as contained in the Budget Policy Statement 2024 .
Koome said the service could not recruit in the last financial year because of the El Nino disaster, which forced the hiring budget to be rechannelled to respond to the menace.
He also billed a case for the budget deficit that he noted has over the years derailed some of the critical projects of the sector.
NPS documents state that the financial year 2024-25 has been allocated Sh114.29 billion, 2025-26 Sh122.41 billion and 2026-27 Sh135.34 billion.
This is against resource requirements of Sh171.89 billion, Sh171.93 billion and Sh173.48 billion respectively.
“We request for kind consideration of the underfunded areas highlighted in the report and commit that the funds will be utilised prudently in an efficient, economical and effective manner to enhance service delivery by the NPS,” the documents read.
