The tug of war between the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) over who should manage the payroll has spilt into court.
The IG has also been separately sued for failing to crack the whip on police officers involved in either maiming or killing protesters.
The IG has been sued before the High Court, accused of taking over a role not within his powers. The payroll case was filed by Sheria Mtaani and Shadrack Wambui, while Sebastian Ochieng, Janet Mbithe, Job Omondi, Macharia Kanja and Michael Okuto filed the case to hold the IG and NPSC to account for atrocities committed by the police.
According to Sheria Mtaani, payroll management is part of NPSC's human resource mandate; hence, the commission has the right to determine how much police earn in remuneration and benefits. "The public confrontation between these two constitutional offices has caused uncertainty, disruption, and potential violations affecting governance of the National Police Service and poses a national security risk," argued lawyer Wambui.
