The Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) is seeking an increase of the budgetary allocation by Parliament through the Committee on Administration of Justice and National Security to fully implement their mandate.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ forum in Meru County, the Authority’s Board Chairman Issak Hassan said the underfunding at the Constitutional Office was greatly affecting provision of civilian oversight over the police work in the country as their key mandate.
“We should have IPOA offices in all the 47 counties but because of inadequate financial resources, we are only in nine regions. Opening of an office in each county is part of the reforms we want to bring in to expand our services with adequate financial support,” said Hassan.
He said it was ironical that the ten-year-old authority has an approved staff establishment of 1300 and is supposed to oversight a police force formed 135 years ago comprising at least 120,000 police officers spread across the country.
Hassan said despite the approved staff establishment, they have only 284 staff out of which 77 are investigators and this is where the core of their work is.
“The greatest challenge is that though we have competent and professional staff, there is burn out because they are already overworked,” said Hassan.
He however said the Board was optimistic and would ensure by the time they are through with their term; they would set up a new six-year-strategic plan informed from the feedback they are receiving from various stakeholders.
“We have a very robust and democratic constitution which must be protected in the course of law enforcement and rule of law operations and this calls for a professional police force,” said Hassan.
The Authority’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Elema Halake said they have so far managed 34 convictions and 250 criminal cases against police officers were ongoing in various courts across the country. This, he said, is in addition to several other administrative and disciplinary convictions.
“In Meru alone, we have received at least 1,000 complaints against the police and we are investigating them after which we will hand over our file to the Director of Public Prosecutions for further action,” said Mr Halake.
By Dickson Mwiti
