Kenya police get pay raise

Kenyan police officers have been awarded a pay raise ending months of negotiations between the force and the government.

Internal Security minister George Saitoti said junior officers will receive a 28pc increase, while their seniors will get a 25pc raise.

The least paid officer- a police constable- will now earn Sh21,000 inclusive of allowances.

The move comes just a day after Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere assured police that their pay will be reviewed at the end of the month.

"The officers are going to get the new salaries at the end of the month. The increase will definitely be there," he said after a meeting with junior officers at the Kilimani Police Station Tuesday.

New package

There has been disquiet in the force since officers had not received a circular communicating the new pay package, as promised.

Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta read the 2010/2011 Budget, which remained largely unchanged on salaries and wages for the police fuelling speculation that the increase will not be implemented.

But the government moved fast to ensure that police operations were not disrupted and released money to increase officers' salaries.

An additional Sh5.1 billion was injected into the Internal Security Ministry's budget.