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Police Internal Affairs Unit to be detached – Kavuludi

National Police Service Commission Chairman  Johnston Kavuludi. Photo/ FILE

National Police Service Commission Chairman Johnston Kavuludi. Photo/ FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 27 – The National Police Service Commission on Tuesday announced that the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) of Police will be relocated from Jogoo House where Inspector General of police occupies.

The unit will be detached from the National Police Service as prescribed by the law according to the commission’s Chairman Johnston Kavuludi.

Speaking when he opened a sensitisation workshop for Assistant Superintendents of police and officers from IAU on the vetting process, Kavuludi pointed out that the budgetary allocation to facilitate logistical arrangements including rent of space which was yet to be identified has already been set aside.

“In order to create an enabling environment for the unit, the law stipulates that the IAU shall be located in separate offices from the rest of the service and it shall not be subject to control, direction or command of Kenya Police, Administration Police or Directorate of Criminal Investigations but shall report directly to the Inspector General. To ensure accountability, IAU is obliged to report regularly to among others the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the commission,” he stated.

Currently, the IAU headed by Senior Assistant Inspector General of Police Leo Nyongesa shares the same building with the Inspector General in contravention to the provision in section 87 of the National Police Service Act.

The unit is mandated to among others deal with cases of indiscipline, including corruption, police misconduct within the police service either raised by an officer or members of the public.

The vetting exercise since December has seen 198 senior police officers of the defunct ranks of Senior Deputy Commissioner of Police I and II, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police and Assistant Commissioner of Police vetted.

“According to the commission’s work plan for the 2014/2015 financial year, the vetting of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSPs); officers appointed to the newly created rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and officers from the Internal Affairs Unit should be completed by end of April,” he said.

At the end of the exercise, 80,000 police officers will be vetted in a bid to reform the National Police Service.

The vetting process is being conducted pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution Article 246 and National Police Service Act (2011) Section 7(2) and (3) which stipulate that members of the National Police Service shall undergo vetting to assess their suitability and competence.

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The overall objective of the vetting is to build confidence and trust in the National Police Service.

The applicable vetting standards include officers’ satisfaction of entry and training requirements, their professional conduct and discipline, integrity, financial probity, and respect for human rights.

Officers who satisfy the commission with regard to competence and suitability will be retained and those who do not will be removed from the service.

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