New staff denied entry at Jogoo House as Koome-NPSC row escalates
Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome when he appeared before the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security in joint sitting with the Senate Standing Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations at County Hall in Nairobi on November 9, 2023.
What you need to know:
- The successful applicants reported to work on Tuesday at Jogoo House only to be told to report back to the commission.
- Last year, the IG and the commission engaged in a long-running spat over the promotion of more than 500 officers.
The simmering row between the Inspector General of Police and the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) is threatening to paralyse operations at Jogoo House.
This is after 51 senior civilian staff officers who were to report to work on Tuesday were denied entry into their respective offices.
The new employees were to fill vacancies for the positions of Director Human Capital Management, administration, legal affairs; Deputy Director Human Capital Management officers, Supply Chain Management.
Others are Internal Auditor, Chief Finance Officer, Chief Economist, Principal Human Capital Management officers, Principal Finance Officers, Assistant Accountant General, Principal Public Communications Manager and Finance Officers.
The commission had advertised the positions in November last year in accordance with Article 246 which mandates it to recruit and appoint persons to hold or act in offices in the National Police Service, confirm appointments and determine promotions and transfers within the service for non-civilian and uniformed staff.
A total of 7,471 applications were received for the said positions, out of which 184 were shortlisted and interviewed between December 7 and 14 last year at the Kenya School of Government.
Sources told the Nation that the IG was invited to take part in the interviews but reportedly declined to participate leaving the panel to the Public Administrative Secretary and members of the commission including the CEO and Deputy CEO.
Neither the IG nor the two Deputy Inspector Generals of Police or the Director DCI were present.
The successful applicants reported to work on Tuesday at Jogoo House only to be told to report back to the commission.
NPSC was to issue a statement on the matter on Tuesday evening but did not. Attempts to get a comment from the commission and the Police Spokesperson were unsuccessful by Wednesday afternoon.
Last year, the IG and the commission engaged in a long-running spat over the promotion of more than 500 officers, forcing a behind-the-scenes intervention by the Ministry of Interior and State House.
This was after the IG, in a June memo, announced that he had promoted 514 senior officers, a move that was declared unlawful and un-procedural by NPSC which said the promotions were covertly undertaken as they were not previously advertised.
“Based on the irregularities cited above amongst others, the commission hereby issues the following directives; all purported promotions conferred on June 5, 2023 to select members of the NPS are declared irregular and un-procedural," NPSC CEO Peter Leley said then.
"Any officer using such rank as irregularly conferred is warned that any benefits obtained shall attract personal liability. The Inspector General should recall his illegal actions as they totally flout various constitutional principles and his failure to uphold the rule of law by a state officer,” he added.
A week later, the commission advertised for the same positions in local dailies, a move that irked the IG who then circulated a memo ordering officers to ignore the ad or face disciplinary action.
The rift prompted parliament to summon Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof Kithure Kindiki who called out the two officers and said their difference was caused by a misinterpretation of their mandates.
