The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) and security agencies are failing in their key responsibilities despite clear mandates. The NCIC, the National Police Service (NPS), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) have substantial financial allocations to carry out their duties but are not doing enough.
It will, of course, get worse as the campaigns for next year’s General Election pick up. Already, the performance and effectiveness of the NCIC, NPS, DCI and EACC are a matter of public debate. The security agencies operate under immense pressure and in difficult conditions, but that is precisely why they must intensify their efforts to enhance law and order.
The NCIC has been ridiculed for failing to properly discharge its mandate, as politicians accused of making inflammatory utterances go scot-free. The summoning of some of the suspects has ended with a slap on the wrist after making public remarks that incite ethnic hatred.
‘Toothless dog’
In its latest public statement, the NCIC has warned politicians against rhetoric it says can only deepen ethnic divisions. And all the commission could do was warn and order a Cabinet secretary and an MP to retract their remarks that it felt could undermine national cohesion.
It is, therefore, hardly surprising that the NCIC has often been derisively described as a “toothless dog” by its critics. Despite its clear mandate to tackle hate speech and ethnic discrimination and promote national unity, the agency is often accused of failing to secure high-profile convictions. Its summoning of politicians for questioning is thus a futile exercise.
But defenders of the NCIC often point out that it is hampered by a lack of prosecutorial powers. It must investigate and forward files to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions. Then it must relentlessly do so to help secure convictions and justify its existence.