Petition to remove NPSC chairman Johnston Kavuludi tabled in House

National Police Service CommissionChairman Johnstone Kavuludi. BuraMP Ali Wario tabled a petition seeking his removal. [PHOTO: FILE/STANDARD]

NAIROBI: A petition has been tabled before the National Assembly seeking the removal of five commissioners of the National Police Service Commission (NPSC).

The petition wants the National Assembly to commence proceedings into the removal of NPSC Chairman Johnston Kavuludi and four other commissioners for being in office illegally and conducting the commission's business contrary to the Constitution.

"The commissioners are in serious violation of the Constitution and the laws of Kenya," reads the petition.

The commissioners are accused of gross misconduct in performance of their functions and incompetence in the conduct of vetting and promotion of police officers "without proper regulations in place to guide the process". Other commissioners the petitioners want kicked out are Ronald Musengi, Murshid Mohammed, Major Muiu, Shadrack Mutia and Matu Auma Owuor.

"The commission has been vetting senior police officers using regulations that were declared unconstitutional by the High Court," petitioners say.

Other grounds cited for seeking the removal of the five commissioners is that the commission has been running its business without a quorum since Deputy Commissioner Esther Chui died late last year.

CRIMINAL OFFENCE

They also claim that one of the commissioners is bedridden, reducing the number of sitting commissioners to four.

The petition was signed by Bura MP Ali Wario on behalf Bura constituency residents. Musengi is accused of being in office despite having been charged with a criminal offence.

"Ronald Musengi is still serving as a commissioner despite having been charged with willful failure to comply with the law relating to procurement contrary to Section 45 (2) as read with Section 48 of the Anti-Corruption and Economics Crimes Act, 2003," the petition says.

Temporary Speaker T J Kajwang' ordered that the petition be forwarded to the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee for consideration.