Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja risks the ire of MPs after reneging on his commitment to hand over the police payroll to the National Police Service Commission (NPSC).

On July 29, 2025, while appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly, Mr Kanja pledged to transfer the National Police Service (NPS) payroll to the commission.

The move was meant to implement resolutions flagged by Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu.

The committee subsequently gave the IG two weeks to ensure the handover was completed seamlessly and without drama.

However, a month later, NPSC Chief Executive Officer Peter Lelei confirmed to the Nation that the payroll is yet to be delivered despite the police boss’ promise.

“He has not handed over the payroll as promised and as directed by the parliamentary committee,” Mr Lelei said.

Asked why he thought the NPS was reluctant to comply, he responded: “I don’t know what it is they are protecting. We are asking for it because it is our function, as confirmed by the auditor-general reports.”

Efforts to get a comment from NPS spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga were unsuccessful as he did not respond to inquiries sent to his known phone number.

The management of the police payroll has been a central issue in the frosty relationship between the NPSC and NPS, with both institutions engaged in prolonged wrangles over their constitutional mandates.

Article 246(3) of the Constitution grants the NPSC the sole mandate to recruit and appoint persons to hold or act in offices within the service, confirm appointments, and determine promotions and transfers.

While the Constitution allows the commission to delegate some functions to the NPS, the management of human resources — including the payroll — remains the exclusive preserve of the NPSC.

Like other state agencies, the commission requires access to the payroll for audit purposes, including confirming whether officers who have exited the service through retirement, resignation, dismissal or natural attrition have been removed from the records.

While reviewing the audited accounts of the NPSC for the 2022/23 financial year, Mr Lelei accused the NPS of sabotaging the commission’s constitutional role. His remarks were supported by the auditor-general’s findings that the NPSC was denied access to police payrolls, making it impossible to assess the commission’s implementation of HR policies.

During that PAC session attended by Mr Lelei, IG Kanja and his two deputies, the police boss struggled to explain why he should not be cited for undermining the NPSC’s constitutional mandate.

“You are hereby directed by this committee to hand over all the Human Resource functions, including the payroll, to the commission. The commission will report to this committee in two weeks whether you have complied. Failure to do so will compel us to take the necessary steps,” PAC chairperson Tindi Mwale (Butere) ordered.

In response, IG Kanja assured the lawmakers of compliance. “We are going to comply as directed by this committee. We will hand over the payroll to the NPSC,” he said back then.

The committee’s decision to summon the IG followed a formal appeal by Mr Lelei, who accused the police leadership of frustrating the commission and making it nearly impossible to discharge its constitutional mandate.