The Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has rejected an attempt by the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) and sections of Parliament to gain control over the National Police Service (NPS) payroll.
The IG warned that such moves violate the Constitution, saying that payroll administration falls squarely under his mandate as the Accounting Officer of the Service.
“The Inspector General of Police, as the Accounting Officer of the Service, is solely responsible for the custody, integrity, and administration of payrolls within the National Police Service. The payroll, being a financial instrument, naturally falls under the IG’s purview as an expenditure record and a sensitive accountability document,” the statement read.
He cited the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), 2012, and Articles 245 and 249 of the Constitution as the legal basis for his authority.
The IG warned that the NPSC and Parliament must not overstep their mandates.
“Demands by other institutions to take control or custody of payroll systems represent not just mission drift, but a potential breach of the principle of separation of powers and mandates.”
While acknowledging the NPSC’s role in human resource management under Article 246, the IG stated that this does not include financial control.
“It does not extend to financial or payroll management, and any attempt to assert authority over such areas lacks constitutional backing.”
He also took issue with Parliament’s role, saying oversight does not mean administrative control, saying oversight means scrutiny, not interference.
The IG added that it means ensuring compliance through reporting, auditing, and inquiries, not administrative micromanagement.
The IG cautioned against actions that undermine the operational independence of the police.
“If institutions within government begin to ignore constitutional boundaries and pressure others to do the same, the consequences for governance and institutional integrity are severe.”
He called on all constitutional bodies to stay within their mandates, adding that the custody of payrolls must remain where the Constitution has placed it: with the Inspector General of Police.
Kanja called on Parliament and the NPSC to support, rather than constrain, the IG in executing his lawfully assigned duties.
