Do you think salaries of graduate Kenya police officers should be reviewed? And would such an increment make a difference on how they serve the common mwananchi?
Kenya police officers have been accused of using brawn where brains can work perfectly while executing their duties. It is near comical how the boys in blue handle-rather mishandle-evidence. Many cases before the courts are poorly investigated leaving magistrates and judges with no option but to free suspects. Most of individuals recruited into the service scored grade D in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), two grades shy of the lowest mark in the final examination. Then we have a new crop of cops who scored decent grades and joined the National Police Service (NPS).
Number of University Graduate Officers
The total number of graduate police in the force is 3,739, according to figures provided by the National Police Service Commission (NPSC). The officers are spread out as follows:
Nairobi-1,470
Nyeri-488
Nakuru-396
Mombasa-194
Garissa-101
Kisumu-94.
The population of police officers in Kenya is estimated at 109,000.
Salary of Graduate officers
University graduate in group J basic salary is KES44,670
Officer in group F with same qualifications earns Kes19,290
Court battle pitting NPS vs Officers
NPS is in a court battle with five police officers who want their pay to match their qualifications. The officers- Evans Muriuki, Ruth Odikara, David Ochom, Linet Wandia Njagi and George Barasa-won the first round after the Employment and Labour Relations court judge Byron Ongaya sided with them and ordered NPS to up their pay to that of police inspectors.
The judge directed that: “…….NPSC and Police Inspector General Hillary Mutyambai to pay all graduate police constables salaries equivalent to pay for inspectors and as per the prevailing NPSC policy….”
NPSC and the IG will appeal the decision saying it is not tenable:
“This is not tenable. It should also be noted that at the time of recruitment, for a youth to be recruited in the service with a grade D and later convert to graduate midway ranking system is in practical terms denying opportunity to deserving youth with grade D who would have been recruited that year…”
Other interesting Facts About Kenya Police
Out of the population of 109,000 officers;
12,000 are assigned to VIPs as bodyguards, cooks or messengers
13,000 work in the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI)
9,000 in GSU
2,000 Anti-Stock Theft Unit
4,000 AP guarding vital installations
4,000 in traffic
About 55,000 to provide security to the 40 million plus Kenyans. Next
