Ruto’s pick for police commission dodge payroll questions, promise reforms
During the approval hearing before the National Assembly Committee on National Administration on Wednesday, Amani Komora, one of the nominees, declined to outline his immediate plan for resolving the payroll issue.
President William Ruto’s nominees to the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) faced tough questions from MPs but avoided giving direct answers on the ongoing Sh60 billion payroll dispute.
The law empowers the commission to oversee all human resource functions of the police, yet the key payroll document remains under the custody of the Inspector General of Police. Parliament last month instructed IG Douglas Kanja to hand over payroll management to the commission.
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During the approval hearing before the National Assembly Committee on National Administration on Wednesday, Amani Komora, one of the nominees, declined to outline his immediate plan for resolving the payroll issue.
He described the matter as “very sensitive” and emphasised the commission’s broader purpose.
“The matter of the payroll in the public discourse is a very sensitive matter between the employee and the employer,” Komora told MPs.
“We will eventually get to agree on where the payroll sits. I don’t think we have to fight over positioning instead of the fact why we exist as a commission,” he added.
Komora assured Kenyans that, if approved, he would work to strengthen collaboration between the commission and the National Police Service.
“I want to assure the panel and Kenyans that I have the experience to address the dynamics,” he said.
“If approved, I will work with the different players and colleague commissioners, who I believe we will be able to consolidate into a solid team, so that we have one singular mind to address issues of NPS, instead of some of the divided noise that we hear,” Komora added.
The nominee, who declared assets worth Sh102 million, also highlighted his plans to tackle systemic corruption within the service.
A recent survey by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) ranked the police as the most corrupt sector.
“It is not good that every other year the NPS remains at the top for bad reasons. This is systemic corruption,” Komora said.
“We will work with the EACC alongside other players to understand why this vice has become almost impossible to correct.”
The committee, chaired by Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo, also vetted Angeline Siparo, another NPSC nominee. Siparo said she would use her expertise as a human resource professional and counsellor to support officers grappling with mental health challenges.
“The greatest legacy I will leave is what I will do for the people of Kenya,” Siparo said.
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