NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 15 — The government will soon conduct a public participation exercise with a view to relook into the terms and conditions of service of police officers in the country.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki said Tuesday that the move seeks to improve the welfare of police officers operating in the country some of whom continue to work under difficult circumstances.
“We know the police sometimes are blamed by the public for things that are outside their control. Therefore, in the next day or two, the government will be announcing the measures that we are taking to ensure that we review the terms and conditions of service of the NPs at all ranks through a public participatory process,” Kindiki said.
The Interior CS who spoke following a meeting with senior security chiefs at the Administration Police Training College Embakasi said the review will include salaries, police equipment, their mortgages and healthcare.
“The whole idea is to adjust it to the cost of living but also to make it at least as near as possible with the other cadres who have an equal standing within the public sector,” he said.
Kindiki stated that the move is part of the wider efforts to not only professionalize the police but also charging them to tighten up and remove any loopholes that have affected the operations of the police in the past.
While commenting on police involvement in politics, Kindiki said that henceforth, no police officer will be allowed to engage in political issues adding that the government is keen to ensure independence of police.
The Interior CS said that the government is keen to prevent any occurrence that may jeopardize the security of the country.
He was accompanied by Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome, Deputy Inspector Generals Noor Gabow. Edward Mbugua and Mohamed Amin, the Director of Criminal Investigations, among other senior security officers.
