Court stops NPSC from admitting police recruits
Young people who turned up for recruitment to the police service in Eldoret East Sub-County at Kipchoge Keino Stadium on July 14, 2014. The full extent of the rot that marred last month’s police recruitment leading to cancellation of 1,215 slots across 21 counties, can be revealed today. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
The police oversight authority on Monday got a court order stopping the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) from admitting the newly recruited police officers pending a determination of their suit that seeks to nullify the exercise.
High Court judge Lady Justice Mumbi Ngugi ordered that the NPSC not to issue any appointment letter to the 10,000 recruits until the suit by the Independent Police Oversight Authority’s (IPOA) is determined.
The judge directed that the position of the process should remain as it is until a report detailing how the recruitment exercise was conducted is tabled by the NPSC.
“Pending the release of the NPSC’s report on the recruitment process and further orders of the court, the status quo as at today be maintained in that no letters of appointment be given to the police recruited,” said Lady Justice Ngugi.
The judge also allowed the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) to file a request to be enjoined as an interested party in the case filed by IPOA against the Attorney-General, the NPSC and the National Police Service.
AG OBJECTS ORDER
State lawyer Paul Ojwang’, representing the Attorney-General (AG), had initially objected to the temporary orders issued, saying that the move would be punitive to the recruits.
The AG argued that the case had been overtaken by events because the necessary action had been taken by the NPSC to address complaints arising from the recruitment in line with the Constitution and the law.
The AG also faulted the oversight authority for allegedly flouting section 6 and 7 of the IPOA Act.
“I object to the grant of the requested barring orders. This shall amount to punishing innocent Kenyans without … (giving them) an opportunity to be heard, yet this case is based on 10 complaints which IPOA received against 600 received by the commission. It would do great harm to Kenyans,” said Mr Ojwang’.
However, NPSC’s chairman, Johnstone Kavuludi, admitted that the commission had indeed received complaints with regard to the recruitment exercise, but denied allegations that there was no public participation in the investigation of alleged malpractices.
