President William Ruto’s nominees to the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) assured MPs they will work to strengthen oversight and teamwork in the police but avoided committing to immediate solutions for the Sh60 billion payroll dispute.

While the law assigns the commission full authority over police human resource management, the payroll document remains under the Inspector General of Police.

The National Assembly had last month directed IG Douglas Kanja to hand over control to the commission.

During the approval hearing before the Committee on National Administration on Wednesday, Amani Komora was repeatedly asked about his plans for resolving the payroll impasse.

He described the issue as “very sensitive” and emphasized that the commission’s focus is broader than the dispute.

“The matter of the payroll in the public discourse is a very sensitive matter between the employee and the employer,” Komora told MPs. “We will eventually get to agree where the payroll sits. I don’t think we have to fight over positioning instead of the fact why we exist as a commission.”

Komora, who declared assets worth Sh102 million, said he would build a united team within the commission to address National Police Service issues effectively.

“I want to assure the panel and Kenyans that I have the experience to address the dynamics,” he said. “If approved, I will work with the different players and colleague commissioners, who I believe we will be able to consolidate into a solid team, so that we have one singular mind to address issues of NPS, instead of some of the divided noise that we hear.”

The nominee also vowed to tackle systemic corruption in the service, which was ranked by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission as the most corrupt sector.

“It is not good that every other year the NPS remains at the top for bad reasons. This is systemic corruption,” Komora said. “We will work with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission alongside other players to understand why this vice has become almost difficult to correct.”

Angeline Siparo, also appearing before the Tongoyo-led committee, said she will use her expertise as a human resource professional and counselor to address officer welfare and mental health challenges.

“The greatest legacy I will leave is what I will do to the people of Kenya,” Siparo said. She declared assets totaling Sh113 million, including liabilities, and said she is prepared to contribute positively to the service.