National Senior Police Officers Disciplinary Hearing
National Senior Police Officers Disciplinary Hearing
National Senior Police Officers Disciplinary Hearing
In an effort to increase accountability and keep law enforcement officials in check, the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) Disciplinary Committee said on Monday that it will begin holding hearings for police officers.
The hearings would focus on instances involving senior police personnel with the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and above, according to the agency’s chairperson Edwin Kinuthia, who was speaking when NPSC commissioners toured the General Service Unit (GSU) Embakasi B and Magadi Field Campus.
Within four days, the nationwide exercise will be carried out. Senior officials from the Kenya Police Service (KPS), Administration Police Service (APS), and Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) would be the subject of an investigation, according to Kinuthia.
The National Police Service Act states that a member of the public, a fellow officer, or a government agency may file a complaint against a senior officer with the disciplinary committee. “An anonymous witness statement or other statement made for another investigation not necessarily commenced for purposes of police service matters,” the Act further states.
Statements will be gathered from the complainant, any accessible witnesses, and the accused officer during the course of the 4-day disciplinary hearing.The committee will suggest the appropriate disciplinary action to Inspector-General of Police Japhet Koome after the four days have passed.
The accused officer’s Deputy Inspector-General, two representatives of the Kenya Police Service, and two representatives of the Administration Police Service will make up the disciplinary body.One of the two members representing the Kenya Police Service must be from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations if the officer under investigation is from that agency.
An officer who is unhappy with the judgment may ask to have the findings reviewed by the commission even though the IG Koome will be given the recommendations from the hearing for any necessary action to be taken.If found guilty, officers may be censured, suspended, or housed in barracks or other police housing.”While an officer is interdicted or suspended, the officer’s powers, privileges and benefits shall be suspended, but the officer shall continue to be subject to the discipline and penalties as if the officer had not been interdicted or suspended,” according to the Act.
Other forms of punishment that the disciplinary committee may suggest include a salary reduction of no more than one-third of basic pay for a period of no more than three months, a fine no greater than one-third of basic pay, an order of restitution, or the suspension of salary increases for a set period of time no longer than one year. If the offense is serious enough, the committee may suggest that the officer be demoted or let go from their position.
