By Iommie Chiwalo
Malawi police service says remarks by Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) in what they call glaring nepotism as false.
The statement from National Police headquarters written by its spokesman Assistant Commissioner James Kadadzela says accusing Inspector General George Kainja of sidelining officers from southern region by excluding them from high command has no basis in the police service.
The statement has come hours after CDEDI issued a press release expressing dissatisfaction with glaring nepotism being manifested in the MPS under the leadership of Inspector General of Police (IG) Dr. George Kainja.
CDEDI went further by giving the IG seven (7) days to address the anomaly.
But Kadadzela has clarified that promotions in the MPS are governed by the constitution and the Police Act.
He says the legal mandate to promote officers is vested in the Police Service Commission (PSC) under section 155(2) of the constitution.
“Under section 13 (b) of the police act, the PSC is required to follow principles that promote uniformity. The section also requires that certain standards must be attained by officers of each rank to qualify for promotion,” he says.
He says following the set standards, it is evident that region or district of origin is not a criterion for promotion of officers.
“The presence or absence of police officers from any region at any level of management is thus not an indication of nepotism on the part of PSC or the Inspector General,” he says adding that making such accusations can only be in bad faith and is a futile attempt to divide the Malawi Police Service on political, tribal or regional lines.
However CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa insists that their remarks was based on reasonable investigation and that what police ought to do is to provide names of the current senior officers in the high command for Malawians to appreciate.
He says it is worrisome to learn that, based on investigations, there is no police officer from the Southern Region in the current Police High Command, which comprises three officers from the north, and 10—including the IG and his two deputies—from the Central Region.
Namiwa stood grounds that there is nepotism in MPS despite all the efforts from James Kadadzela’ office to refute the claims.
He says CDEDI is not only basing its remarks on the current status but practicality that was observed during its investigations based on comparisons between current and previous regime.
“We sourced a list of the Police High Command, from the previous administration, which is indicating that it comprised two officers from the North, five from the Centre, and five from the South. But the current composition of the Police High Command contradicts the MPS claims,” he says.
Namiwa has also brush aside blame game exercised by the Police Inspector General George Kainja who argues that PSC was solely responsible for the hiring of the senior officers saying CDEDI has established that the IG sits on the PSC interviewing panel, and makes recommendations to the commission.
“This means that the IG has veto powers for the hiring and firing of the senior officers in the Police High Command,” he observes.
It is also in records that during the Friday October 2, 2021 Dr Kainja said in his own words that the police high command was designed in a such a way that it should reflect traditional, cultural and geographical aspects of our nation meaning that it serves to foster national unity and inclusiveness.
Namiwa further reveals that Dr Kainja lied that there are three officers from the South in the Police command.
“Now in the statement he is trying to use the law to practice retribution. The current police high command only reflects how nepostic he is,”
CDEDI has since asked DR Kainja to apologise to Malawians for lying about the composition of the Police High Command, and move to rectify the anomaly, as his commitment to ensure national unity.
