The Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs, Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations and Committee on Delegated Legislation held a meeting with the Chairperson, Commission on Administrative Justice (Office of the Ombudsman), Florence Kajuju.
Kajuju who was accompanied by Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance and the South African Military Ombudsman, met the Committees in regards to her proposal to have an internal military Ombudsman in Kenya.
“The holder of this office will ensure that the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) operate with integrity, handle individual complaints and help prevent human rights abuses, eliminate malpractice, and contribute to the overall good governance of the security sector” said Kajuju
According to the CAJ Chairperson, the Commission has received 289 complaints as of June 2023, from current and former members of the KDF particularly on matters of promotion and termination.
“We propose to have an internal military ombudsman, who will deal with these disputes in a fair and just manner,” she said.
Kajuju noted that they have one limitation on access to information, as KDF only gives information to the extent to which the institution feels it’s prudent for CAJ. This has limited the information the Commission receives.
Tharaka MP George Murugara advised CAJ to prepare a legislative proposal that will be looked at critically by the three Committees.
