New life cover for police officers

A new insurance scheme has been introduced for police officers killed in the line of duty that will see their families paid millions of shillings.

The lumpsum payment will be based on an individual’s monthly earnings at the time of death.

Once implemented, beneficiaries will be paid the equivalent of an officer’s eight-year salary.

There will also be other payments which vary with rank.

For instance, Sh100,000 will be made available for burial expenses of a constable, the lowest ranked officer, with the amount rising for higher ranks.

The scheme has been outsourced and the tender was won by Pioneer Insurance, which is expected to sign the contract next week.

The life insurance package is not restricted to officers killed on duty.

The families of those who die of other causes will be paid a lumpsum equivalent to the officer’s five-year salary.

MEDICAL COVER

In a related development, a medical insurance cover for officers will be tendered afresh after the initial one, which was to begin this month, was cancelled.

The insurance will cover hospital bills of officers, their spouses and children.

The earlier plan would have granted in-patient cover of Sh8 million for junior officers and upto Sh200 million for commanders.

Between Sh40,000 and Sh150,000 would have been the cover for out-patient treatment.

Officers were, however, told to disregard the communication advising them to join the scheme offered by Heritage Insurance that has been adopted by the National Police Service Commission for its members and staff.

The Nation established that the fresh tender wants insurance providers to apply as consortiums instead of individual firms.

At present, police officers are covered by the National Hospital Insurance Fund, which excludes those in the lower ranks from the best private hospitals.

National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich allocated Sh1.6 billion for the health insurance scheme this financial year.

The life and medical insurance cover will cater for nearly 80,000 police officers as well as prison guards.

The initiatives come four years late after they were recommended in the Ransley report, the police reforms blueprint adopted by the government in 2009.

The report said: “The nature of policing duties exposes them to all manner of risks. The risks have increased phenomenally due to the merging challenges in maintaining safety and security. In view of the inadequacy of life insurance cover, the officers have been rendered vulnerable to risks in the course of their duty.”