NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 1 – A heated exchange erupted between the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) CEO, Peter Leley, and members of a parliamentary committee over the demand to table the list of newly recruited officers.
The National Cohesion and Equal Opportunities Committee had directed Leley to submit the names of successful candidates before their appointment letters were issued, aiming to assess whether the hiring process met legal requirements for ethnic balance.
Committee Vice Chairperson Charles Were insisted that the names must be presented for verification.
“For the Committee to confirm whether the recruitment process has addressed ethnic disparities, we require the full list before appointments are finalized,” the Kasipul MP stated.
However, Leley firmly declined, arguing that there was no legal basis for such a demand.
“There is no provision in the recruitment process that mandates me to submit the list before issuing appointment letters. The Committee would be overstepping its mandate by compelling me to do so,” he asserted.
His refusal sparked sharp criticism from lawmakers, who accused him of being uncooperative.
Committee Chairperson Adan Yusuf Haji reminded Leley that Parliament had the authority to demand any document relevant to its investigations.
“The law empowers this Committee to compel witnesses to provide any information necessary for our inquiries. You cannot ignore that,” the Mandera West MP warned.
“You can disagree with the Committee, but your responses must remain respectful.”
Other MPs, including Kisumu Central’s Dr. Joshua Oron and Ndhiwa’s Martin Owino, cautioned Leley against defiance,
“The Committee is being diplomatic, but your approach is unwise. If you refuse to comply, so be it,” Owino remarked.
Following sustained pressure, Leley eventually relented, agreeing to submit the list once the recruitment exercise is concluded.
“I will comply with any directive issued by a constitutional body such as this Committee,” he stated.
The Committee had also questioned why the NPSC had not taken the opportunity to correct tribal imbalances in recruitment. According to Leley’s submissions, only 24 sub-tribes had been represented in the hiring process.
Additionally, lawmakers raised concerns over the Commission’s failure to meet the five percent employment quota for persons with disabilities (PWDs), with Leley’s report revealing that only three percent of recruits were PWDs.
Despite these concerns, the Committee commended the Commission for achieving gender balance, with 135 male employees and 149 female employees currently on the payroll.
Source: capitalfm
