NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 5 – A panel set up to interview candidates seeking to become members of the National Police Service Commission will begin the process afresh on Monday.
The exercise was suspended last month on expiry of the terms of the panel’s chairman Hassan Omar Hassan who had been nominated by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) and Okong’o Omogeni who was nominated there by the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission.
The two bodies have since made fresh nominations following the recommendation of Attorney General Prof Githu Muigai.
Capital News has established that 38 candidates have been invited to undergo fresh interviews which will run from February 6 to 16. The interviews will be carried out at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC).
Among those called for the interview are former Kenya Anti Corruption Commission principal officer Yassin Mohamed Ismail, former senior police officers Alice Kagunda, Mary Mwangangi and Major Muiu Mutia.
Ismail who formerly served at the KACC is known for spearheading ICT reforms there while Kagunda is remembered for fighting for gender issues when she served as deputy police commissioner.
The candidates will be appearing before a panel comprising of Permanent Secretaries Caroli Omondi of the Prime Minister’s office, acting Internal Security Permanent Mutea Iringo, Ahmednassir Abdulahi of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), Festus Lituku (Chairman), Paul Mwangi of anti corruption and Lydia Gachoe.
The team is mandated to recruit the commission’s chairman and five members.
Once established, the commission will be responsible for appointing the Inspector General, two deputies and the director of CID.
One of the deputies will be in charge of the regular police while the other will oversee the Administration Police.
The National Police Service Act requires that one of the deputies of the Inspector General be a woman.
Once established, the commission shall also hire the new director of the Criminal Investigations Department and will have express powers to undertake police promotions and transfers as outlined 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.
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