The Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has rejected an
attempt by the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) and sections of
Parliament to gain control over the National Police Service (NPS) payroll.
The IG warned that such moves violate the Constitution, saying that payroll administration falls squarely under his mandate as the
Accounting Officer of the Service.
“The Inspector General of Police, as the Accounting Officer
of the Service, is solely responsible for the custody, integrity, and
administration of payrolls within the National Police Service. The payroll, being a financial instrument, naturally falls under the IG’s purview as an
expenditure record and a sensitive accountability document,” the statement read.
He cited the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), 2012, and
Articles 245 and 249 of the Constitution as the legal basis for his authority.
The IG warned that the NPSC and Parliament must not overstep
their mandates.
“Demands by other institutions to take control or custody of
payroll systems represent not just mission drift, but a potential breach of the
principle of separation of powers and mandates.”
While acknowledging the NPSC’s role in human resource
management under Article 246, the IG stated that this does not include
financial control.
“It does not extend to financial or payroll management, and
any attempt to assert authority over such areas lacks constitutional backing.”
He also took issue with Parliament’s role, saying oversight
does not mean administrative control, saying oversight means scrutiny, not
interference.
The IG added that it means ensuring compliance through
reporting, auditing, and inquiries, not administrative micromanagement.
The IG cautioned against actions that undermine the
operational independence of the police.
“If institutions within government begin to ignore
constitutional boundaries and pressure others to do the same, the consequences
for governance and institutional integrity are severe.”
He called on all constitutional bodies to stay within their
mandates, adding that the custody of payrolls must remain where the Constitution
has placed it: with the Inspector General of Police.
Kanja called on Parliament and the NPSC to support, rather
than constrain, the IG in executing his lawfully assigned duties.