Why police promotions delayed

PHOTO: COURTESY

Lack of quorum during the National Police Service Commission sittings has delayed police officers’ promotions for a year, it has emerged.

The commission’s chair Johnstone Kavuludi told the Senate Committee on Security that it had been difficult to conclude the process for months, as scheduled meetings are often called off due to lack of quorum.

Kavuludi, who was accompanied by Inspector General Joseph Boinnet said while the law strictly pegs the quorum at six of the nine commissioners, with at least two representatives from the Police Service, they could not meet this threshold because of certain realities.

The commission lost Vice chairperson Esther Chui-Colombini, who died in November 2013 and Major (Rtd) Shadrack Muiu, who resigned due to ill health, and the two have not been replaced.

“That leaves only seven commissioners, and in the event that two of the service members fail to show up for the meeting, we are unable to raise a quorum.

 It is for this reason that for a year we could not complete the promotion of officers,” said Kavuludi. The Police Service is represented in the commission by the IG, and his two deputies, Samuel Arachi and Joel Kitili.

 Boinnet said operational demands have mostly made it difficult for him and the two deputies to attend the meetings. He pointed out that the promotions, which are long overdue, had been concluded on Tuesday.