NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 23 – Eleven candidates short listed for the post of chairperson of the National Police Service Commission have been invited for interviews on December 1and 2.
The selection panel led by Hassan Omar Hassan said it will conduct the interviews in public and is now calling on Kenyans to submit any information they have on the candidates.
“It is our considered view that this is one of the most powerful commissions under the new Constitution and due diligence must be followed to the letter in selecting its chairman and members,” Hassan told a press conference at the Public Service Commission where he released the names of short listed candidates.
He said the panel had received 21 applicants but short listed 11 to be interviewed before their names are submitted to Parliament for further scrutiny.
“This is a six-year full time job and that is why before we give it to anybody, we have to have satisfied ourselves that we have exhausted any reasonable measure towards ensuring that we have given all Kenyans a chance to participate,” he said of the commission which will have powers to hire the country’s first Inspector General to take over leadership of police service management from Mathew Iteere.
The commission shall also recruit two deputies to the Inspector General, one to head the Administration Police and another to head the regular police.
It will also hire the new director of the Criminal Investigations Department and will have express powers to undertake police promotions and transfers as outlines in the National Police Service Act as well as develop a police training curriculum.
Currently, the Police Commissioner wields immense powers of transferring police officers of all ranks under him among other responsibilities.
Hassan told journalists the panel intends to complete its task and submit names of suitable candidates to serve in the commission by the end of January to enable it start the process of selecting the Inspector General and his two deputies.
The following are names of the short listed candidates who have been invited for interviews to serve in the National Police Service Commission.
1. Bernard M. Mbai
2. Byram Ongaya
3. Dr. Migudo Winja
4. Amina R. Masoud
5. Dr. Erick K. Bor
6. Dr Hulda K. Ogoti
7. Murshid A. Mohamed
8. Margret K. Cheboiywo
9. Johnson M. Kavuludi
10. Jean N. Kamau
11. Mumo Mwatemu
Apart from presenting original certificates and other testimonials, the panel wants all the candidates to ensure they are tax compliant by providing clearance certificates from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).
Members of the public have been urged to present any information that has a bearing on the selection of the candidates before the end of this month.
Hassan has however, announced that they intend to re-advertise for applicants from retired Administration Police officers interested to be members of the commission because they have only received one application.
“It is just important to make the process competitive by re-advertising, but in the event we do not receive any other applicant, we will forward the name of the one applicant who is a former commandant of the Administration Police to the President with advice on our report on what the law says so that the President and the President will give guidance as to how we should proceed,” Hassan said.
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