Police service boss Eliud Kinuthia summoned over reduced police graduates’ salaries
National Police Service Commission Chairman Eliud Kinuthia has been summoned to the court, to show cause why he should not be punished and cited for contempt for disobeying court orders.
Employment and Labour Relations Court Judge Nduma Nderi admonished the NPSC boss and the Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai for disobeying court orders which had stayed a move to reduce graduate officers’ salaries.
The Judge said the NPSC Boss Eliud Kinuthia and the IG will not have any further audience in the court regarding the matter until they comply with the court orders.
“This court is not prepared to engage in flexing of muscles between itself and the ever endowed executive, on which the court relies to have its orders implemented. If the interim orders of the court are openly and blatantly defied, there cannot be any useful purpose for the court to give audience to a party who is only prepared to obey the court orders if they are made in its favour,” Justice Nduma Nderi said.
According to the Judge, the court must be steadfast in ensuring that the low and the mighty give deference to its orders and obey them without exception.
Court orders
In this case, three graduate police officers sued the IG and NPSC chairperson for slashing their salaries without proper justification.
The officers; Ayub Gikonyo Mathenge, Mbusiro Christine Dorothy and Robinson Kipkorir Cheruiyot were affected by the November 17, 2021 order by the Deputy Inspector General of Police.
The Court required the NPSC Chairman and the IG to pay them the remuneration they have paid them since they were employed in the year 2013 under Job Group J, being Graduate Officers, pending the hearing and determination of the suit.
However, the IG and NPSC submitted in court that the orders granted were incapable of being complied with.
The Judge noted that the court in granting those interim orders was satisfied that the police officers had satisfied the requirements for a grant of interim orders.
“This Court finds in view of the submissions by the respondents before the court that the 2nd respondent (NPSC) in particular is in open, blatant and willful defiance of the Court orders issued on December 15, 2021, by this court by failing to withdraw the letter it had issued reducing the grade and remuneration of the applicants,” he said.
Justice Nderi said in the event NPSC fails to comply with the said court orders the suit shall proceed Ex Parte on June 14 2022 on the merits of the suit.
