IPOA questions police vetting panel’s morals

NAIROBI: The Independent Policing Oversight Authority has questioned the moral authority of the National Police Service Commission in delivering the vetting mandate.

IPOA says most of the members in the commission vetting panel have been mentioned in allegations of corruption and graft cases, questioning their credibility to vet other police officers.

Speaking during an open forum on police reforms and vetting in Nairobi Wednesday IPOA board member Tom Kagwe said the commission has shown bias in the vetting process.

"We saw how the commission mistreated a police officer who had appeared before the vetting panel," he said.

Kagwa was referring to the vetting of former senior Deputy Police Commissioner Francis Okonya on Monday that turned into an exchange of words with the Chair of the commission Johnston Kavuludi when the officer requested to make a presentation.

"No matter what he did or didn't do the officer needs to be respected and accorded fair treatment," he said.

The officer said the commission needed to understand the difference between a review panel and an interview panel.

Kagwe said the members of the panel had accusations that disqualify them from the commission.

"The chair was in the list of shame for corruption allegations and did not step down for investigations but is still in office," he said.

Kagwe said other panellist have been charged in court and some had been mentioned in corruption scams while serving in their former positions.

"When you look at the panel only two panellist are clean. Those with pending cases or allegations should be at home and not in a public office.

The member said IPOA was not against the vetting of police.

"Our bar has been set so low. Vetting will continue but we are questioning its effectiveness," he said.

IPOA also said they were not satisfied with the vetting commission dismissal of officers from the service after dreaming them unfit to serve.

"If someone has been removed from the service, he should face disciplinary action and criminal charges for the reasons that led to his dismissal," he said.

IPOA also says accusations that the commission is receiving bribes to let some officers off the hook after vetting should not be taken lightly.

However King'ori Mwangi who was representing the Inspector General of Police said there were cartels that had been formed to avoid implications of officers being vetted.

Mwangi said the accusations of the vetting commission receiving bribes was not true.

He said the cartels were aiming to ensure that the officers remain in the service so that they would continue with the illegal businesses.

Mwangi said police reforms were a gradual process that would take a time.