NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 28 – Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai has appealed for a robust relationship among the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) partners in a bid to promote dispute resolutions mechanisms.
Speaking on Thursday during an NCAJ consultation meeting in Mombasa, Mutyambai pointed out the need for more autonomy and innovation in enhancing coordination efforts which he said will contribute to a unified justice sector.
The police boss stated that a new NCAJ Strategic Plan 2021/26 launched at the event will support efforts to improve the criminal justice system in the country.
“The National Police Service is proud and honored to be a significant partner in the development of this strategic plan. It indeed marks an achievement in charting a road map to achieving our collective agenda to improve service delivery in the Criminal Justice System in Kenya,” Mutyambai said.
He stated that NCAJ has and continues to revolutionize the way agencies in the criminal justice sector relate by uniting them as equal partners.
Mutyambai called for unity and cooperation among the partners for the sake of service delivery to the citizens.
“This clearly demonstrates to all of us that there is strength in unity of purpose, this is especially so when we pull from the same side of the rope against a common enemy- namely crime. As such all we need is to encourage and support each other as we bring on the table our comparative advantages and shared resources for the common good of Mwananchi,” he added.
The Inspector General further stated that the synergy generated within NCAJ partnership has played a significant role in enabling the National Police Service review and appraise its own internal systems, ensuring compliance to norms and best practices and deliver its role efficiently.
He noted that training of police officers facilitated by NCAJ has improved the overall management of cases in the country.
“We as NPS have been a beneficiary of several trainings supported by NCAJ geared towards enhancing capacity of police investigators. This has greatly enriched overall case management resulting into higher conviction rates comparatively,” said Mutyambai.
He added that NCAJ, through its committees, has developed policy guidelines and regulations that continue to improve the delivery of justice singling out the Bail and Bond Committee which developed the “Bail and Bond Policy Guidelines” and the Active Case Management Committee which came up with guidelines and a training manual on active case management.
He stated that such policies will further improve management of cases and reduce backlogs in the country.
“I am also aware that the NCAJ committee on criminal justice has done tremendous work in developing a “Penal Law Amendment Bill” and other policy guidelines which will go a long way in improving the administration of justice,” he added.
Mutyambai further said that NCAJ council plays a vital role in providing policy direction at the national level pointing out the policy directions issued at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country on March 2020.
He added that digitization of criminal proceedings has also played a vital role in promoting justice
“The introduction of virtual hearing of cases has received accolades both nationally and internationally and demonstrated that technology can be leveraged to conveniently bring justice close to our homes and desks. This need has accelerated the National Police Service resolve to digitize its services a feat that is being partly supported by our esteemed partners,” Mutyambai stated.
The police boss expressed his commitment to the collaboration brought about by the NCAJ in the administration of justice.
The event convened by Chief Justice Martha Koome was also attended by the Director Public Prosecutions, Noordin Haji, DCI George Kinoti, Patricia Nyaudi, Ag NCAJ Executive Director, and representatives from different state and non-state agencies.
