Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has called for a review of the Independent Policing Oversight Act (IPOA) to expand the body's oversight mandate to include the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and Kenya Forest Service (KFS).
Murkomen's recommendation follows recent incidents where both units have faced accusations of shooting, maiming, and facilitating the forced disappearances of innocent civilians, including the recent case of Nakuru-based fisherman Brian Odhiambo, who remains missing.
Appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Administration and Internal Security, the CS noted the need for the amendment to address the glaring disciplinary issues within the two units of the police formations.
''On the question of how to hold the KWS and the KFS accountable, there is no reason why this committee has not considered amending the IPOA Act so that they can be held responsible for their actions,'' Murkomen stated.
Furthermore, the CS emphasised that there was no valid reason why the KWS and KFS departments lacked internal disciplinary protocols to address such cases. He argued that this gap created a legal vacuum, making it easier for human rights infringements and violations of their powers to occur.
Additionally, Murkomen promised to work on legal frameworks that will have the National Police Reservists (NPR) also included in the amendments to address the cases of misuse of their powers.
''There is no reason why the two do not have self-crafted mechanisms to deal with disciplinary issues within their units. I am not saying that we do not have a problem within the police. They are aware that the IPOA is there to immediately act in the event of misconduct," Murkomen noted.
''The law is very clear on police, and therefore, that should extend to KWS and KFS. This should be extended to the National Police Reservists. They should be part of the IPOA Act amendment since they are part of NPS and are coordinated from the command centre and control.''
According to the CS, the NPRs are an integral part of the security organs, and the government will work on modalities to put them under the direct command of the Officers Commanding Stations (OCS) and the NPS.
Further, the government will pump additional resources to address concerns such as old equipment used by the officers, as well as renew their standard of operations.
The CS revealed that already plans are in high gear to submit the ministerial recommendations on the changes, with a meeting to provide an update of the same scheduled for Wednesday with the senior leadership of the NPS.
The CS's comments come at a time when the plight of the family of the missing Nakuru-based fisherman, Odhiambo, is yet to be addressed, as he is still at large.
Murkomen blamed the existence of the bureaucratic process for the delay of the police to gain entry to the park at the initial stages of the incident to promptly establish intelligence and forensic leads.
