IPOA has today hosted a delegation of the Swaziland Commission on Human Rights and Public Administration Integrity, which is in Kenya on a learning mission.
Mr Sabelo Masuku, the chairman of the Commission said the team is keen to understand operations of IPOA especially when handling investigations and human rights issues.
The visit comes at a time the Commission is preparing to monitor elections to be held this year in Swaziland and its officials want to learn best practices from IPOA, since it monitored police operations over the electioneering period.
Mr Masuku said it will be the first time his team would be monitoring elections.
He said: “In the first term we did not have an opportunity to monitor elections. We thought as we come here, as we are still building investigations office, we asked to have a conversation on how best to handle investigations and human rights.”
IPOA Chief executive officer Maina Njoroge took the visiting team through an overview of IPOA mandate, operations, achievements and challenges, spanning the six years it has been in existence.
And since the IPOA inaugural Board exited at the end of its term on May 21, Mr Njoroge said the government is keen to recruit a new Board and selection of suitable candidates is in progress.
He said: “IPOA is created through the IPOA Act, which is derived from Article 244 of the Constitution. It is independent in its operations and reports to the Parliamentary Committee on Administration and National Security and its funds must be allocated by the National Treasury.”
The Article in part says that the National Police Service shall strive for highest standards of professionalism and discipline, integrity and competence, promote transparency and accountability and also comply with human rights standards.