IPOA should be given wider powers to oversee all state agencies dealing with firearms and operate without taking instructions from the police, chairperson nominee Duncan Ojwang Oburu has told MPs.
Ojwang said the move would strengthen civilian oversight and improve accountability across security agencies if Parliament approves his appointment as chairperson of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA).
Appearing before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security for vetting on Wednesday, the lawyer and law lecturer said IPOA must remain independent while maintaining a professional working relationship with the National Police Service.
“IPOA's independence cannot allow it to take instruction from IG. Cooperation with IG should not be on taking instructions. They should uphold their mandate to Kenyans,” Ojwang said.
He proposed amendments to the law to allow IPOA to oversee other agencies that handle firearms, including the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and police reservists.
“I Call on parliament to ammend the law to allow IPOA oversight all agencies handling guns including KWS, kfs and police reservists and granted powers to arrest,” he told the committee.
Ojwang also outlined measures he said would improve transparency within the police service, including installing functional CCTV cameras at all police stations and equipping officers with body cameras.
He further called for better training of police officers, particularly in handling public assemblies and observing human rights.
The nominee said IPOA needed more funding and staff to fully deliver on its mandate, while the welfare of employees should also be prioritised.
“IPOA's strategic plan is making a case of the understaffed and the authority needs resources to enhance capacity to be able to execute their mandate and the employees welfare is paramount,” he said.
His proposals came as MPs raised concerns over the authority's internal operations. Mandera East MP Hussein Weytan questioned Ojwang over alleged cartels at IPOA and asked how he would restore independence within the institution.
“We are aware that there is a cartel building up in IPOA, there are commissioners since they came to that office, the whole IPOA office has turned out to be a cartel. Not all of them but few of them and there is no independence in the operations of IPOA. What are you going to do to ensure you dismantle that cartel?” Weytan asked.
The MP also raised concerns about job insecurity among senior IPOA officials serving on contracts, saying their employment terms could compromise their independence.
Ojwang said the authority should strengthen communication with the public and remain focused on holding police officers accountable.
“IPOA stands to be an eye of the public and uphold truth on behalf of the public,” he said.
He said civilian oversight was created to ensure police powers remained accountable without taking over the constitutional role of the National Police Service.
Ojwang, who is a lawyer and lecturer, told MPs that he obtained a Juris Doctor degree in Illinois at the age of 20 before pursuing a doctorate in law. He returned to Kenya in 2013 and unsuccessfully contested the Rangwe parliamentary seat, finishing third.
He joined the University of Nairobi as a law lecturer in 2014, teaching human rights and constitutional law and heading mentorship. He later served as Dean at African Nazarene University.
He also said he participated in the National Dialogue Committee process and previously worked on the Building Bridges Initiative, particularly on matters involving the Judiciary and the defence of the 2010 Constitution.
Committee chairperson Gabriel Tongoyo asked Ojwang to explain how he would improve IPOA's performance if approved.
The committee will retreat to prepare its report before presenting it to the National Assembly for a decision on whether to approve or reject his nomination.