Parley Committee summons police IG Kainja over growing insecurity in Malawi

The Public Appointments Committee (PAC) of Parliament has summoned the Inspector General (IG) of the Malawi Police Service (IG), Dr. George Kainja, over the breakdown of security in the country’s cities and major towns.

Last month, Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) asked PAC to summon the IG on the alleged indicators of incompetence, nepotism and criminal negligence following unprecedented spates of criminal activities, including killings and robberies, which activists have attributed to negligence by law enforcement agencies.

CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa accused Kainja of failing to fulfil pledges to mend the sour relations between police and the citizens and to improve internal security lapses such as the recent murders and police station break-ins.

PAC Chairperson Joyce Chitsulo told journalists on Sunday that her committee is expected to meet and set a date for the meeting with the police chief.

But Chitsulo emphasized that committee wants the meeting to take place before the end of this week.

“We will have to ask him questions and hear him first then we will see whether we are convinced or not before we move to the next step. The committee will give a chance to the IG to respond to the issues raised,” she said.

Namiwa said he was delighted that their issue was being attended to, saying they are looking forward to the outcome.

“The issue of security has not improved as people are still living in fear and have completely lost trust in the police. We want the IG to be declared incompetent and fired,” he said.

In a letter dated February 20 2022 addressed to PAC, CDEDI cited recent reports of murders, including that of a Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) student and a lawyer in Blantyre, a Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) official in Dedza as well as a Malawi Defence Force soldier in Kawale, Lilongwe, as indicators of internal security lapse in the country.

In October 2021, CDEDI wrote the Office of the Ombudsman raising similar issues.

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