National Assembly Summons Inspector General Douglas Kanja Over Police Reform Delays and Payroll Disputes
Quote from Lawyer on September 3, 2025, 9:00 amThe National Assembly's Constitutional Implementation and Oversight Committee (CIOC) has summoned Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to appear before it on September 16, 2025, to address ongoing concerns regarding delayed police reforms and the failure to transfer the police payroll to the National Police Service Commission (NPSC). The summons follows Kanja's absence from a scheduled meeting on September 2, 2025, where he was expected to provide a status report on the payroll handover, prompting accusations from lawmakers of deliberate efforts to undermine the NPSC's operations.
The CIOC, chaired by Caroli Omondi, expressed frustration over Kanja's repeated failure to comply with directives to hand over the police payroll and human resource functions to the NPSC, as mandated by Article 246(3) of the Kenyan Constitution. This article grants the NPSC exclusive authority to recruit, appoint, confirm, promote, transfer, and discipline police officers, including full control over the payroll. Despite parliamentary orders issued in July 2025 by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), chaired by Butere MP Tindi Mwale, Kanja has resisted relinquishing control of the Sh60 billion annual police payroll, arguing that it falls under his operational mandate as outlined in Article 245 of the Constitution.
During the July PAC session, lawmakers, including Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera and Aldai MP Marianne Kitany, accused Kanja of breaching the Constitution by withholding critical payroll data from the NPSC, the legal employer of police officers. Nabwera questioned, "The commission is the legal employer of police officers. Why would the employer be denied access to payroll data?" Kitany went further, challenging the legality of Kanja's continued service, stating, "I wonder whether we should have the IG seated as an IG, having contravened the Constitution, and yet he wants the rest of Kenyans to follow it." The PAC ordered Kanja to immediately surrender the payroll and all human resource functions to the NPSC, with the commission's CEO, Peter Lelei, directed to confirm receipt of these functions in writing.
The ongoing dispute has deepened tensions between the National Police Service (NPS) and the NPSC, with lawmakers alleging that Kanja and his deputies, Gilbert Masengeli and Eliud Lagat, have deliberately skipped NPSC meetings, preventing the commission from achieving the quorum needed to conduct business. Nambale MP Geoffrey Mulanya accused Kanja of sabotaging the commission, stating, "There is a deliberate effort by the IG and his fellow uniformed officers to sabotage the police commission’s work. He must appear before us and explain why the commission cannot achieve a quorum." The CIOC rejected Kanja's request for a 21-day deferment and his proposal for an in-camera meeting, insisting that the September 16 session be held publicly due to the matter's significance to Kenyan citizens.
The standoff has also drawn legal action, with Sheria Mtaani and Shadrack Wambui filing a case in the High Court accusing Kanja of usurping the NPSC's constitutional powers by retaining control of the payroll. The petitioners argue that allowing the Inspector General to manage the payroll undermines the NPSC's independence and risks unfair practices in promotions, demotions, and disciplinary actions. Additionally, separate lawsuits have been filed against Kanja, his deputies, and the Director of Criminal Investigations for failing to address police brutality and abductions during protests in June 2024 and June 2025, further intensifying scrutiny on Kanja's leadership.
Kanja, who was sworn in as the fifth Inspector General of the NPS on September 19, 2024, following his appointment by President William Ruto and vetting by Parliament, has defended his actions, asserting that the NPS operates within legal boundaries and maintains a collaborative relationship with the NPSC. During his vetting, Kanja, a career police officer with 39 years of service, pledged to implement sweeping reforms to enhance transparency and accountability, including introducing body cameras and name tags for officers and strengthening the Internal Affairs Unit to investigate rights violations. However, his refusal to cede payroll control has fueled accusations of perpetuating a culture of defiance, a concern echoed by Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo, who urged Kanja to address police impunity and constitutional violations.
The dispute has raised broader concerns about stalled police reforms, with critics pointing to persistent issues such as banditry, cattle rustling, extrajudicial killings, corruption, and strained police-public relations. The power struggle has also threatened the planned recruitment of 10,000 police officers in September 2025, with divisions within the NPSC between uniformed commissioners, led by Kanja, and civilian commissioners advocating for the commission's full control over human resource functions. A letter from NPSC CEO Peter Lelei on August 4, 2025, withdrawing delegated human resource functions from the Inspector General's office was disowned by some commissioners, who claimed it lacked formal discussion, further complicating the commission's operations.
As Kanja prepares to face the CIOC on September 16, 2025, the nation awaits answers on how he will resolve the payroll dispute, address accusations of obstructing reforms, and restore public confidence in the NPS. Lawmakers have emphasized that compliance with the Constitution is non-negotiable, with PAC Chairperson Tindi Mwale stating, "We want the Constitution followed to the letter." The outcome of this confrontation could shape the future of police reforms and the relationship between the NPS and the NPSC, critical to ensuring accountability and effective service delivery in Kenya's security sector.
The National Assembly's Constitutional Implementation and Oversight Committee (CIOC) has summoned Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to appear before it on September 16, 2025, to address ongoing concerns regarding delayed police reforms and the failure to transfer the police payroll to the National Police Service Commission (NPSC). The summons follows Kanja's absence from a scheduled meeting on September 2, 2025, where he was expected to provide a status report on the payroll handover, prompting accusations from lawmakers of deliberate efforts to undermine the NPSC's operations.
The CIOC, chaired by Caroli Omondi, expressed frustration over Kanja's repeated failure to comply with directives to hand over the police payroll and human resource functions to the NPSC, as mandated by Article 246(3) of the Kenyan Constitution. This article grants the NPSC exclusive authority to recruit, appoint, confirm, promote, transfer, and discipline police officers, including full control over the payroll. Despite parliamentary orders issued in July 2025 by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), chaired by Butere MP Tindi Mwale, Kanja has resisted relinquishing control of the Sh60 billion annual police payroll, arguing that it falls under his operational mandate as outlined in Article 245 of the Constitution.
During the July PAC session, lawmakers, including Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera and Aldai MP Marianne Kitany, accused Kanja of breaching the Constitution by withholding critical payroll data from the NPSC, the legal employer of police officers. Nabwera questioned, "The commission is the legal employer of police officers. Why would the employer be denied access to payroll data?" Kitany went further, challenging the legality of Kanja's continued service, stating, "I wonder whether we should have the IG seated as an IG, having contravened the Constitution, and yet he wants the rest of Kenyans to follow it." The PAC ordered Kanja to immediately surrender the payroll and all human resource functions to the NPSC, with the commission's CEO, Peter Lelei, directed to confirm receipt of these functions in writing.
The ongoing dispute has deepened tensions between the National Police Service (NPS) and the NPSC, with lawmakers alleging that Kanja and his deputies, Gilbert Masengeli and Eliud Lagat, have deliberately skipped NPSC meetings, preventing the commission from achieving the quorum needed to conduct business. Nambale MP Geoffrey Mulanya accused Kanja of sabotaging the commission, stating, "There is a deliberate effort by the IG and his fellow uniformed officers to sabotage the police commission’s work. He must appear before us and explain why the commission cannot achieve a quorum." The CIOC rejected Kanja's request for a 21-day deferment and his proposal for an in-camera meeting, insisting that the September 16 session be held publicly due to the matter's significance to Kenyan citizens.
The standoff has also drawn legal action, with Sheria Mtaani and Shadrack Wambui filing a case in the High Court accusing Kanja of usurping the NPSC's constitutional powers by retaining control of the payroll. The petitioners argue that allowing the Inspector General to manage the payroll undermines the NPSC's independence and risks unfair practices in promotions, demotions, and disciplinary actions. Additionally, separate lawsuits have been filed against Kanja, his deputies, and the Director of Criminal Investigations for failing to address police brutality and abductions during protests in June 2024 and June 2025, further intensifying scrutiny on Kanja's leadership.
Kanja, who was sworn in as the fifth Inspector General of the NPS on September 19, 2024, following his appointment by President William Ruto and vetting by Parliament, has defended his actions, asserting that the NPS operates within legal boundaries and maintains a collaborative relationship with the NPSC. During his vetting, Kanja, a career police officer with 39 years of service, pledged to implement sweeping reforms to enhance transparency and accountability, including introducing body cameras and name tags for officers and strengthening the Internal Affairs Unit to investigate rights violations. However, his refusal to cede payroll control has fueled accusations of perpetuating a culture of defiance, a concern echoed by Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo, who urged Kanja to address police impunity and constitutional violations.
The dispute has raised broader concerns about stalled police reforms, with critics pointing to persistent issues such as banditry, cattle rustling, extrajudicial killings, corruption, and strained police-public relations. The power struggle has also threatened the planned recruitment of 10,000 police officers in September 2025, with divisions within the NPSC between uniformed commissioners, led by Kanja, and civilian commissioners advocating for the commission's full control over human resource functions. A letter from NPSC CEO Peter Lelei on August 4, 2025, withdrawing delegated human resource functions from the Inspector General's office was disowned by some commissioners, who claimed it lacked formal discussion, further complicating the commission's operations.
As Kanja prepares to face the CIOC on September 16, 2025, the nation awaits answers on how he will resolve the payroll dispute, address accusations of obstructing reforms, and restore public confidence in the NPS. Lawmakers have emphasized that compliance with the Constitution is non-negotiable, with PAC Chairperson Tindi Mwale stating, "We want the Constitution followed to the letter." The outcome of this confrontation could shape the future of police reforms and the relationship between the NPS and the NPSC, critical to ensuring accountability and effective service delivery in Kenya's security sector.