The Judiciary’s Director of Public Affairs and Communications Naim Bilal said in a statement that the case had been fast-tracked adding that due process must be allowed to take its natural course.
“It is important that the judges be allowed to make the determination on the matters before them as guaranteed by Article 162 of the Constitution without appearing to exert undue pressure on them. The judges will reach a determination based on the facts and the law,” he said.
This is after President Kenyatta on Thursday ordered 10,000 recruits whose enrollment was stopped by the courts last year to immediately report to the respective training venues at Kiganjo, GSU and AP colleges.
President Kenyatta blamed insecurity in the country on a shortage of police officers and directed that the recruits start training immediately.
“I take full responsibility for this directive. We have suffered unnecessarily due to shortage of security personnel. Kenya badly needs additional officers, and I will not keep the nation waiting,” President Kenyatta said in a televised address to the nation in the wake of Thursday’s dawn attack on Garissa University College.
Inspector-General of Police Joseph Boinnet subsequently ordered the recruits to report for training on Sunday.
The Independent Police Oversight Authority Board has meanwhile resolved to commence the process of “citing the IG and the CEO of National Police Service Commission for contempt.”
“We trust that the Attorney General and the Solicitor General who are the officers of the court and the Government Principal Legal advisers will advise the Executive to comply with the court order,” read a statement by the authority.
The recruitment of the 10,000 police trainees was put on hold following claims of irregularities in the selection process.
The Independent Police Oversight Authority took issue with the National Police Service Commission and the National Police Service for failure to conduct fresh recruitment after the court nullified the initial exercise.