Acting Inspector General of Police Noor Gabow has welcomed the commitment by President William Ruto to sign an Executive Order giving the National Police Service financial independence.
Through a statement, Gabow said the move will transform the National Police Service impeccably
“We wholeheartedly welcome this move, since this autonomy shall go a long way to empower the Service plan ahead and provide services in a timely, proactive and transformative way,” he said.
In his first address as the newly elected Head of State, Ruto said the Executive order will see the Inspector General become an Accounting Officer for funds allocated to the police.
Ruto noted that the constitution provides for the IG to exercise independent command over the NPS.
“As I address you, I have instructed that the instruments conferring financial autonomy to the National Police Service by transferring their budget from the Office of the present and designating the Inspector General as the accounting officer be placed on my desk for signature this afternoon,” Ruto said.
Additionally, Ruto said that the operational autonomy of the office of IG has been undermined by what he described as the continued financial dependence on the Office of the President.
However, the Head of State pointed out that the financial independence of the police will give impetus to the fight against graft and end the political weaponisation of the criminal justice system in the country.