Police reject pay rise amid fears of chaos

What you need to know:

  • They dismissed the increment as an “insult” and accused the government of taking them for a ride.
  • The disgruntled officers accused the government of being insincere with them claiming that previous pay increments have not been implemented.
  • The officers drawn from the two units of the Kenya Police Service complained of disparities in salaries and allowances between constables and officers from the rank of corporal.

Regular and Administration police officers have rejected the 8.5 per cent pay rise announced last week by Internal Security Minister Katoo Ole Metito.

They dismissed the increment as an “insult” and accused the government of taking them for a ride.

“It is not the first time we are being awarded such low increment,” they said, as a section of regular police officers vowed to join AP’s for a countrywide go-slow to press the government to award them a 42 per cent pay rise. (READ: APs on go-slow in Eldoret town)

“There is a huge salary disparity between junior officers and our seniors. This is a divide-and-rule tactic being used by the government to silence us on pretext that we are discipline officers, as if we have no financial obligations to meet,” said an officer who requested not to be named.

The disgruntled officers accused the government of being insincere with them claiming that previous pay increments have not been implemented.

“They paid us the first phase of 28 per cent then refused to settle the 14 per cent and 28 per cent pay rises of the second and the third phases,” he said.

The officers drawn from the two units of the Kenya Police Service complained of disparities in salaries and allowances between constables and officers from the rank of corporal.

“Whereas a constable earns Sh1,600 in house allowance, a corporal takes home Sh2000 and a sergeant Sh2,500. We need the government to award a better pay rise to boost our morale,” another officer said.

‘Remain patriotic’

Police spokesman Eric Kiraithe on Sunday urged the officers to continue working, saying, they were serving the public and not the government.

“We do not have private police stations where the public can go to if officers go on strike,” Mr Kiraithe said.

AP spokesman Masoud Mwinyi admitted that the officers were disappointed, but urged them to be patriotic.