Chiefs, their assistants and village elders may soon have sweeping powers over the operations of police officers within their jurisdiction if Parliament passes proposed amendments to the National Police Service Act.
In what looks like the reintroduction of the abolished provincial administration through the back-door, the bill proposes to give village elders, assistant chiefs, chiefs all the way to county and regional commanders, the powers to command and deploy police officers regardless of their ranks in service without necessarily getting the nod of the Inspector General (IG).
CIVIILIAN AUTHORITY
If the bill sails through in its current form, it will drastically dilute the independence of the office of the IG contrary to Article 245 (2) of the constitution and cause more confusion in the operations of the service.
Article 245 (2) provides that the IG shall exercise independent command over the National Police Service, and perform any other functions prescribed by national legislation
.
In what looks like the reintroduction of the abolished provincial administration through the back-door, the bill proposes to give village elders, assistant chiefs, chiefs all the way to county and regional commanders, the powers to command and deploy police officers regardless of their ranks in service without necessarily getting the nod of the Inspector General (IG).
CIVIILIAN AUTHORITY
If the bill sails through in its current form, it will drastically dilute the independence of the office of the IG contrary to Article 245 (2) of the constitution and cause more confusion in the operations of the service.
Article 245 (2) provides that the IG shall exercise independent command over the National Police Service, and perform any other functions prescribed by national legislation
.
