Quorum hitch delays police promotions

Promotion of police officers has been put on hold for almost a year because of lack of quorum for meetings called by the National Police Service Commission to approve such requests.

The commission Chairman Johnston Kavuludi on Thursday told senators that they have not been able to raise the required number to approve applications for promotion of certain officers.

As at now, the commission has seven commissioners following the death of one and the incapacitation of another.

From the remaining seven, three comprise Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinett and the two deputies.

When the three fail to present themselves, the commission has only four members. This falls short of the requisite number of six.

Appearing before the Senate National Security Committee, Mr Kavuludi said: “We have not completed officers’ promotion because of lack of quorum.”

He revealed the commission’s meetings were by chance as they were frequently postponed for failure to get at least six commissioners.

Mr Boinett, who also appeared before the committee, defended his absence from the commission’s meetings saying most of the time he had been caught in command duties, making it difficult for him to appear.

He, however, said they had endeavoured to present themselves every time the commission calls a meeting.

“We may not be always available because of operation demands but we are always making ourselves available as much as we can,” said Mr Boinett.

The two appeared to respond to senators’ concerns over the recruitment of officers and the stagnation of officers in one category.