NAIROBI Kenya January 10 -The National Police Service Commission (NPSC) has defended the appointment of 51 civilian staff who were rejected by the Inspector General terming it lawful and the exercise final.
The NPSC chairperson Eliud Kinuthia has said the deployment of the civilian staff was part of policy direction on delinking police service civilian staff from the Public Service Commission (PSC) to NPSC in accordance with the Constitution.
Though the Constitution bars PSC from extending their function to office or positions subject to NPSC and other commissions, PSC has been deploying civilian staff to the police service.
On Monday, the IG Japhet Koome directed the officers not to allow the newly appointed staff access at the police headquarters.
The NPSC revealed that Koome and his deputies deliberately absconded meetings without apology, all of which recruitment and appointment of NPS civilian staff was part of the agenda.
Kinuthia however said the decision to deploy was taken by six commissioners, adding that the absence of the Koome and his deputies cannot invalidate the decision.
NPSC had advertised for competitive filing of vacant positions and interviews were conducted and the 51 were successful.
“The new employees were denied access to their duty station at the NPS headquarters by the security officers manning the main gate,” Kinuthia said.
Koome gave the directives despite an earlier instruction by Secretary Administration NPS to the deputy director personnel to receive the newly appointed staff.
According to Kinuthia, Koome’s decision to work with civilian staff from PSC is unlawful and unconstitutional as police service falls under NPSC.
Koome and the NPSC have been wrangling over various mandates especially in the recruitment and promotion of officers.
In June last year, the Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki termed the wrangles the highest level of irresponsibility that could easily give basis for removal from office through a tribunal for gross misconduct and for undermining the Constitution.
NPSC has been facing an operational challenge, especially due to quorum hitch, with Kinuthia claiming Koome and his deputies have deliberately not been attending some of the meetings.
The National Taskforce on improvement of the terms and conditions of Service led by retired Chief Justice David Maraga observed that the provision on quorum in Commission meeting was a deliberate move to usurp powers of the Commission and deter it from performing its Constitutional mandate.
The taskforce recommended that to address the challenge of quorum hitch by deliberate non-attendance of Commission meeting by IG and his deputies, there is need to amend the law.
The supremacy battle was in June last year condemned by various institutions including the Police Reforms Working Group (PRWG).
The two offices had a tussle last year over the promotion of 514 senior officers. PRWG has maintained that NPSC is the police employer, and IG the overall commander of the NPS.
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