Beware this emerging threat against police agency
By Harun Isaack Hassan, August 6, 2025Recent developments involving the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) have raised serious concerns about the understanding, and possible encroachment, of its constitutionally protected mandate.
Public utterances by the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), coupled with alarming claims made during its proceedings, point to an emerging threat to the institutional integrity of one of the country’s most critical oversight bodies.
The NPSC is not just another government agency. It is a constitutional commission designed to ensure accountability, fairness, and professionalism within the police service.
At its helm are key commissioners, including the Inspector General of Police, and the two Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs) for the Kenya Police Service and the Administration Police Service.
These three officers are not only full commissioners, but also the institutional custodians of operational memory and strategy.
Their experience and continuity are vital to the long-term reform and stability of the police service.
Recent attempts, whether overt or implied, to reassign operational responsibilities to civilian commissioners or to wrest control of police functions under the guise of oversight reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of the commission’s structure.
The role of the IG and DIGs in managing day-to-day functions, including human resource deployment, logistics, and operations, is enshrined in law and should not be interfered with.
To do so would be to politicise a national security institution and risk eroding the command structure that holds the police service together.
Particularly troubling were allegations made by the commission’s CEO during last week’s PAC session, claiming that the IG had refused to hand over the payroll.
Such a claim, if unsubstantiated, amounts to gross misconduct and should be treated with the seriousness it deserves.
It is important to remember that the CEO is a staff member of the commission, appointed by and accountable to the very commissioners being undermined in these claims.
His role is administrative and supportive, not operational or policy-setting.
Furthermore, directives from PAC to transfer operational control to civilian commissioners lack legal merit and encroach on the commission’s independence.
These directives blur the constitutional separation of roles and risk turning a vital oversight body into a political battleground.
Let us also not forget the calibre of the officers at the helm.
Inspector General Douglas Kanja and his deputies are seasoned professionals with decades of service and institutional knowledge.
Their leadership deserves public confidence, not political second-guessing.
As Kenya grapples with complex security challenges, from urban crime to terrorism and cross-border threats, now more than ever, the commission must function free from political interference.
Internal disagreements should be resolved through proper institutional channels, not aired in public forums or manipulated for political mileage.
We must return to the fundamentals, which include the rule of law, institutional respect, and fidelity to the Constitution.
The NPSC was never designed to be a platform for political theatrics.
It was envisioned as a pillar of security-sector reform, a role it cannot fulfil if it is continuously undermined from within and without.
Respecting the commission’s mandate is not just about protecting the police service.
It is about safeguarding national security, preserving institutional integrity, and ensuring Kenya’s stability. We ignore that at our peril.
The writer is a Professor of Psychology and an expert in governance and leadership