One would be forgiven to think police officers in Kenya earn a pittance. While their motto reads boldy ‘Utumishi kwa Wote’ (service to all), the exact opposite is true. Kenyan police are inherently corrupt; so corrupt that you have to bribe the boys in blue to be served or to avoid being locked up. Police asking for ‘facilitation’ to investigate a crime is still reported as cases of extra judicial killings continue unabated. This bad manners still persists even after the government increased their salaries. Simply put, it’s in their DNA. So how much does a Kenya Police officer earns?
We start from the lowest paid to the highest basing the salaries on the 2015 review by the National Police Service (NPS), treasury and the Salaries Remuneration Commission. NPS has 12 jobs groups with the lowest being job group PG1 where constables fall. Senior assistant inspector general are categorised in PG12.
| JOB GROUP | GRADE | INPOST | CURRENT BASIC SALARY | % INCREASE | |
| F | PG1 | 70,485 | 17,190 | 18.760 | 9 |
| G | PG2 | 13,318 | 22,410 | 42,660 | 9 |
| H | PG3 | 4,576 | 30,750 | 45,540 | 9 |
| I | PG4 | 1,890 | 33,990 | 50,220 | 9 |
| J | PG5 | 6,383 | 36,300 | 53,820 | 9 |
| K | PG6 | 1,295 | 40,080 | 59,220 | 9 |
| L | PG7 | 242 | 45,540 | 70,530 | 9 |
| M | PG8 | 290 | 48,660 | 73,020 | 9 |
| N | PG9 | 627 | 59,220 | 85,890 | 9 |
| P | PG10 | 277 | 98,040 | 130,590 | 3 |
| R | PH11 | 91 | 143,790 | 187,890 | 3 |
| S | PG12 | 11 | 180,090 | 274,890 | 3 |
Allowances
Housing
Constable-ksh3,000
Corporals-ksh5,000 Nairobi; ksh3,500-ksh3,800 in other regions
Senior sergeant and inspector of police-ksh6,000 (ksh3,500 to ksh5,500 in other regions)
Chief inspector-ksh25,000 in Nairobi; ksh6,000 to ksh9,500 outside the capital
Assistant Inspector General (AIG)-Ksh40,000
Senior AIG-Ksh60,000
The government has been keen on improving the working conditions of police officers in recent years. The officers are now better enumerated than in the past but cases of corruption only seem to escalate.
Hopefully this trend will change and police will live to their motto “Utumishi kwa Wote”.
