NAIROBI – Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja appeared today before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday to explain why the National Police Service (NPS) blocked the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) from auditing its payroll. IG Douglas Kanja was summoned after the commission raised concerns that it had been denied access to payroll records critical to its oversight role.
The committee, operating under National Assembly Standing Order 205, is mandated to review government spending and ensure accountability for funds approved by Parliament. Its members sought clarity on why NPS withheld records despite the commission’s legal mandate to oversee human resource functions within the service.
IG Kanja is expected to issue statements to the Public Accounts Committee .There were internal concerns about data sensitivity and the process through which the audit request was made. We are not against audits, but we must protect security-sensitive systems.
Committee members will issue a report on the appearance to address the access to the NPS audit reports on payroll according to public finance management laws. A member of the committee questioned the transparency of a payroll system that cannot be subjected to scrutiny.
The committee chair warned that continued resistance to lawful audits could signal deeper governance issues in the service. This committee will not condone barriers to transparency in any public institution.
The standoff comes amid broader reforms aimed at strengthening financial discipline across government agencies. Members of the NPSC have insisted their role in auditing staffing and payroll systems is crucial to eliminating ghost workers and ensuring lawful disbursement of salaries.
The PAC is expected to issue further directives after IG’s Kanja’s appearance briefing, which will inform whether the matter proceeds to additional review or enforcement action.
The session remains ongoing, with the committee expected to finalize its findings this week.
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