MPs summon IG Kanja over feud with police commission

A House committee has issued direct summons to Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, demanding he personally appear before them to explain the conflict pitting the service and the commission mandated to superintend it.

 The MPs said the escalating and “deliberate” institutional conflict that is crippling the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) and stalling critical reforms has to be put to a close.

 The call by the National Assembly’s Committee on Implementation of the Constitution follows the IG’s last-minute request to adjourn a scheduled meeting for 21 days, a move lawmakers interpreted as a blatant snub.

 The committee has now ordered him to present himself on September 16.

 Led by Suba South MP Caroli Omondi, the legislators expressed frustration that the standoff between the police command and its constitutional oversight body has persisted for nearly 15 years since the current constitution was promulgated.

 The situation has left issues like payroll management and operational efficiency in disarray.

 “This conflict is what we intend to address,” said Nambale MP Geoffrey Mulanya, capturing the committee’s fury.

 “We take exception that the office of the IG has avoided appearing, yet this conflict persists. The creators of the constitution knew what they were doing. There is a deliberate effort for the uniformed officers to frustrate the effort of the NPSC,” the MP said.

 The NPSC and the national police service have a dispute over their powers. Before the 2010 Constitution, the police commissioner wielded absolute control.

 The new law intentionally split this authority, creating the NPSC to handle human resources, including appointments, promotions and discipline.

 The constitution mandates the IG as responsible for operational command, a delicate balance that has been a source of friction ever since.

 MPs revealed that the NPSC has complained that the IG and his deputies have consistently failed to honour meetings, thereby denying the commission the quorum needed to conduct its business.

 This obstruction has staged consequences, stalling vital reforms and creating administrative chaos, recently flagged by the Office of the Auditor General in a review of the commission’s books.

 “When we start on a wrong footing with the IG seeking an adjournment of 21 days, we can't move. We want to know why police reforms are dragging,” Omondi said, underscoring the urgency of the matter.

 The frustration was shared across the committee. Igembe Central MP Daniel Kariithi expressed bewilderment that the feud has continued under a new IG and a newly appointed NPSC chairman Amani Yuda Komora, who was named in late August.

 “We have a new commission and a new IG. I don't see why we should have a problem with them meeting,” Kariithi said.

 “The former IG and commission had differences which we believed wouldn't play out now. The commission should be ready to serve Kenyans openly.”

 Nandi Hills MP Bernard Kitur issued a direct warning to IG Koome, urging him not to “fall into the trap of what has been happening in the past.”

 He emphasised the seriousness with which Parliament views the impasse, saying, “We had to come from our constituencies to be here… The fact that there is a row means we must resolve it. There are many benefits that will accrue if we resolve this conflict once and for all.”

 Kajiado West MP George Sunkuiya acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue and advised the committee to wait for the new meeting date before deciding on further action.

 Nominated MP Umi Harun sought to ease tensions, saying, “The committee doesn’t bite, we just want answers for the people we represent.”

 She said the IG’s request for an adjournment came too late on the day of the meeting, leaving the legislators in a difficult position.

 “We have people we are answerable to, and the public wants to know the answers. We have come so far as a country, and we need to allow oversight to be done without any conflict.”

 Beyond the internal conflict pitting the police, the committee also plans to engage the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission on preparedness for the 2027 polls.

INSTANT ANALYSIS

 The September 16 meeting is now poised to be a critical showdown. Parliament has drawn a line, demanding accountability from the country’s top police chief and a definitive end to a 15-year-old feud that continues to undermine the very foundations of police reform and constitutional governance.