The Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, is under growing pressure after the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) accused the police leadership of blocking efforts to review and audit the police payroll.
During a meeting with the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee on Wednesday, July 16, NPSC Chief Executive Officer Peter Leley disclosed that the commission had been denied access to crucial payroll documents, even though the Auditor General had requested the information.
Leley told MPs that the commission has not been able to carry out an audit of the police payroll, raising serious concerns about transparency and whether the commission’s staffing and recruitment decisions have been implemented correctly.
“We are being denied access to the payroll, which is critical for auditing purposes. This makes it impossible for us to verify if the commission’s resolutions on recruitment and staffing have actually been followed,” Leley said.
He also pointed out that the relationship between the commission and police command has historically been tense and uncooperative. According to him, this poor working relationship has made it difficult for the commission to carry out its mandate effectively.
The commission further raised alarm over possible irregularities in the recruitment process. Leley expressed fears that there may be rogue hiring practices happening without oversight, and that there could be ethnic imbalances in the way new officers are being hired.
“If the commission is being locked out from verifying the implementation and current status of recruitment decisions, then its oversight role is rendered meaningless,” Leley emphasized to the committee.
Although there have been recent leadership changes, including the appointment of a new Inspector General, a Deputy Inspector General, and a new Secretary of Administration who also serves as the accounting officer, Leley stated that resistance to accountability remains deeply rooted.
“At that time, the working relationship between the commission and the police command was very frosty. Even with the new appointments, the problem of avoiding accountability has not changed,” he said.
IG Kanja, who took over the role toward the end of 2024, has already faced criticism for allegedly politicizing police operations and pushing back against independent oversight.
Leley’s revelations come as public concerns over police accountability continue to grow. The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has also reported challenges in their efforts to investigate police misconduct, particularly during recent protest crackdowns.
IPOA Chief Executive Officer Elma Halake recently stated that a lack of cooperation from police leadership is slowing down investigations and delaying justice for victims of police brutality and abuse.
She warned that unless the police leadership changes its stance, many cases of misconduct will remain unresolved, leaving victims without closure and weakening trust in law enforcement institutions.
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