President William Ruto has moved to defend his tenure in office as Head of State in his inaugural State of the Nation Address.
Ruto noted that in his first days in office, he appointed a task force led by former Chief Justice David Maraga to review the terms and conditions of service of members of the National Police Service (NPS).
“This was necessary so that we can cement our place as a nation on the firm foundation of the rule of law,” he said.
He said the police service and other actors in the justice, law and order chain must be professional independent, impartial, effective and inspired by national values and principles of governance.
“In keeping with that promise to the people of Kenya, I signed important instruments on my first day on duty,” he said.
He noted that he signed the delayed appointment of six judges to the Court of Appeal as recommended by the Judicial Service Commission.
He added that he enhanced allocation to the Judiciary by Sh3 billion and designated the Inspector General of the Police as the accounting officer of NPS to enhance police independence.
Last month, Ruto received a progress report from the Taskforce on Police Reforms and accepted three recommendations.
First, the NPS, the Prisons Service and the National Youth Service be moved to the security sector regarding remuneration and terms of service.
Second, that there will be two entry points into the NPS: At the constable and cadet levels.
The National Police Service Commission will determine the requirements for the two pathways.
Third, no officer should remain at one station for more than three years.
