By Marcus Kibet in Eldoret
Retired Kenyan President Moi’s alleged caution that a change of
police leadership before the general elections should not be left unchallenged.
This is because his claims are baseless with no legal basis.
Mr Moi should be informed he failed to initiate any form of police reforms for
the 24 years he was the president of Kenya.
It is under his regime that the police went to the dogs in
terms of leadership and policing.
He generally failed and led a failed police force that was
and is corrupt, brutal, poorly skilled and ill-equipped.
He needs to be informed the proposed reforms in the police
are constitutional. They are legal and have a deadline that should and ought
have been met.
The changes should be in place by now. The changes are
backed by the law through the constitution and the National Police Service Act.
The era when the Executive used to ignore such laws is long
gone. The principals should ignore the advise Mr Moi is purporting to be giving
on the reforms and mobilise the ways of achieving the highly needed changes.
Let the retired president be informed, the current form of
policing is the one that was blamed for the much of the deaths that were
recorded in the 2007/2008 post poll violence.
If a similar situation occurs again, which seems likely,
police will behave the same manner.
We therefore call for immediate police changes as per the
laws of this country.
Mr Moi could have been sent by some people who do not want
police to be independent at all as we head to the elections.
Their intentions is to continue directing the police in so
many ways contrary to the laws of the country.
They fear that if a new police boss comes to office he or
she will not be taking such illegal orders from politicians as it is the case
for now.
We as Kenyans should therefore stand and say No to proposals
like those of Moi and his mandarins who are opposed to changes in general.
Mr Moi is among those was voted NO in the referendum that
brought the changes that are proposed in the police force and perhaps that is
why he is still opposed to the contents therein the
constitution.
We must tell him to keep mum and that we do not need his
advise. He can choose to be quiet or talk but the laws of the country should be
respected.
The process of establishing the National Police Service
Commission stalled following wrangles between the Office of the President and
Office of the PM after the later accused the former of altering an earlier
agreed upon names to be members of the commission.
The saga was later dragged to Parliament where it
stuck for the last several months.
Mr Moi could be among those who were behind this scheme and many
others.
NPSC will only appoint the two deputies of IG and director
of CID other than performing other duties.
For not know, NPSC will take over the affairs of the police,
including keeping under review all matters relating to standards or
qualifications required of members of the service and with the advice of the
Salaries and Remuneration Commission, determine the appropriate remuneration
and benefits of officers.
It shall also approve applications for engagement in
businesses by officers in accordance with the law and provide terms and
conditions of service.
The commission will develop fair and clear disciplinary
procedures in accordance with Article 47 of the Constitution and investigate
and summon witnesses for the purposes of its investigations.
It shall also receive and investigate complaints by members
of the Service, monitor and investigate policing operations affecting members
of the public.
Further, it will monitor, review and audit investigations
and actions taken by the Internal Affairs Unit of the Service in response to
complaints against the Police and keep a record of all such complaints
regardless of where they have been first reported and what action has been
taken;
It will conduct inspections of Police premises, including
detention facilities under the control of the Service and review the patterns
of
Police misconduct and the functioning of the internal
disciplinary process
The Act, which was enacted last year scrapped five ranks.
The ranks scrapped include that of commissioner of police,
deputy commissioner of police one and two, deputy commissioner of police,
senior assistant commissioner of police and assistant commissioner of police of
both regular and Administration Police.
And in the scrapped ranks, there are more thank 200 officers
who hold the insignia. This means they will be in office illegally from today.
The Act introduced new structure which include Inspector
General, Deputy Inspector General, Assistant Inspector General, Senior
Superintendent, Superintendent, assistant superintendent, Chief Inspector,
inspector, senior sergeant, sergeant, corporal and constable.
May be that is why Mr Moi and those opposed to
implementation of the laws are not willing to implement the. We must tell them
to keep off.
What are the necessary qualities of a police leader? For insight and direction on this and other important police improvement issues, take a look at “Arrested Development: A Veteran Police Chief Sounds Off About Protest, Racism, Corruption and the Seven Steps Necessary to Improve Our Nation’s Police” (Amazon.com in US and EU). And the blog at http://improvingpolice.wordpress.com/ where other current police improvement issues are discussed. Good luck and may we all experience not just good but great policing! Great policing is accomplished by police who are well-trained and led, restrained in their use of force, honest, and courteous to every person.
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