National Assembly summons Police IG Douglas Kanja over delayed reforms, payroll issues
Legislators voiced frustration that Kanja’s continued deferrals had stalled critical oversight of police reforms, including unresolved issues surrounding officers’ payroll, recruitment processes, and broader accountability within the National Police Service.
The National Assembly’s Committee on Implementation and Oversight of the Constitution (CIOC) has summoned Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to appear before it on September 16, 2025, after he repeatedly ignored earlier parliamentary invitations.
During a Tuesday press briefing at Bunge Towers, legislators voiced frustration that Kanja’s continued deferrals had stalled critical oversight of police reforms, including unresolved issues surrounding officers’ payroll, recruitment processes, and broader accountability within the National Police Service.
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The committee, chaired by Suba South MP Caroli Omondi, accused the IG of disregarding legislative oversight—an action they said undermines Parliament’s constitutional mandate.
Omondi warned that Kanja risked perpetuating a culture of non-compliance entrenched under previous police leadership.
“This will no longer be business as usual. It’s been 15 years since the promulgation of the Constitution, and police reforms still lag. Oversight is not optional,” Omondi said.
Kanja had earlier written to the Speaker of the National Assembly, asking that the meeting be deferred for 21 days.
He argued that the recent appointment of a new chairperson for the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) required his office and the commission to take more time to engage constructively and find an amicable solution to the issues under review.
However, nominated MP Umulkher Harun criticised the late notice, describing it as an “insult” to the committee.
“The late communication by the IG is in itself an insult to the committee. It shows that as a committee, we are not taken seriously,” she said.
Kanja had also requested that the session be held in camera due to what he termed the “sensitive nature of the matter.”
Although the committee reluctantly agreed to postpone the session, it rejected his request for the full 21-day grace period. Instead, legislators directed him to appear without fail on September 16.
“We do not have the luxury of time. This matter needs to be dealt with once and for all,” Nambale MP Geoffrey Mulanya said.
The committee also dismissed the IG’s request for a closed-door meeting, insisting that matters such as the police payroll must be addressed openly.
“This committee operates under the principles of transparency and public accountability,” Omondi said.
“We will not allow critical matters of national interest to be shrouded in secrecy.”
The meeting with the IG and the NPSC is now scheduled for September 16, when the committee will deliberate on payroll concerns and other unresolved issues within the National Police Service.
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