The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) on Wednesday called on President William Ruto to consider appointing a civilian Inspector General (IG) of Police who will act professionally and uphold human rights.
In a statement, the Commission called for competitive recruitment of the next IG and all other senior police officers to restore sanctity within the police service.
According to KHRC, the next IG should be a person who will exercise independent command over the National Police Service (NPS), and perform functions independently and professionally.
"The Maraga taskforce report recommends the reinstatement of competitive recruitment processes for the IG, Directors of Internal Affairs and Criminal Investigations, and Deputy Inspector Generals of KPS and AP," KHRC stated.
“In line with these key qualifications, we urge the President to strongly also consider competitively appointing a civilian to head the National Police Service."
The commission also clarified that the appointee must meet the key qualifications enshrined in section 11 of the National Police Service Act.
These include being a Kenyan citizen, holding a degree from a university recognized in Kenya, demonstrating distinction in their career and meeting the requirements of Chapter Six of the Constitution.
According to the lobby group, the IG should have served in a senior management position for at least fifteen years and have knowledge and experience in matters relating to criminal justice or policy development and implementation.
"The Presidential nomination of the next Inspector General will either raise the bar for professional and human rights-based policing or lower it even further," the commission argued.
Meanwhile, the human rights group also called for hastened investigations into alleged harassment of demonstrators by police officers.
"We strongly urge the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to adhere to their mandates and urgently investigate and prosecute police officers and their commanders who have violated Kenyans' rights during the ongoing protests," KHRC stated.
"It remains a matter of public concern that no single officer, as yet, has been arrested for the arbitrary arrests, abductions or unlawful killing of Kenyans in recent weeks."
