IPOA chairperson Issack Hassan and IG Douglas Kanja vows to collaborate in delivering to Kenyans
in picture: IPOA Chairman Isaack Hassan and IG Kanja. Photo NPS/X
The newly appointed Chairperson of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) Ahmed Issack Hassan and Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja have promised to collaborate more in their mandates and service delivery to the Republic
This move to tighten the security sector while administering justice to Kenyans was revealed on Thursday, January 9, 2025, when Hassan paid a courtesy call to Kanja at the National Police Service (NPS) headquarters in Nairobi.
Under the current legal setup, IPOA is mandated to provide civilian oversight in the police work
“Chairperson of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) Mr. Ahmed Issack Hassan today January 9, 2025, paid a courtesy call on the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Douglas Kanja, at NPS Headquarters Nairobi,” NPS stated.
According to the NPS, the two leaders discussed matters of police accountability and transparency in which they promised to collaborate.
“Their discussion focused on strengthening collaboration between NPS and IPOA in achieving their common mandate of ensuring police accountability and transparency,” NPS added.
In November 2024, while appearing before the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security, IPOA CEO Elema Halake lamented that the authority faces the challenges of police officers concealing their identities, using unmarked vehicles and distorting their number plates during operations.
According to Halake, this made it hard to link specific police officers with crimes they had committed during their line of work.
This comes amid a new wave of forced disappearances and abductions targeted on government critics.
Their meeting comes at a critical moment when the country is seriously condemning the police department especially aftre the recents abductions and enforced disappearance. In December, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) said there have been 13 more cases of abductions or enforced disappearances in the last three months.
In a statement on Thursday, December 26, 2024, KNCHR said there have been 82 cases of abductions and forced disappearances since June 2024.
The body says seven of the recent abduction cases were reported in December 2024 with six of them still missing, bringing to 29 the total number of persons still missing since June 2024.
By Hussein Waiyaki
