Prioritise police housing to improve security, says Ipoa
Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) Chairman Macharia Njeru displays a report on the state of National Police Service, at their offices on February 22, 2016. He said bureaucracy was the main problem confronting the Service's housing project. PHOTO | ROBERT NGUGI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- More than 59,000 officers are not housed by the government and are forced to rent houses outside the police lines, due to inconveniences caused by sharing houses.
- As at 2010, the Kenya Police Service had a shortfall of 69 percent while the Administration Police had a shortfall of 78 percent.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority has recommended that the State pay police officers adequate allowances to look for better housing, which will solve problems of feuds, suicides, insecurity and murders.
Ipoa chairman Macharia Njeru said from the report that more than 59,000 officers are not housed by the government and are forced to rent outside the police lines, due to inconveniences caused by sharing houses.
“The shortage has a great psychological effect on police officers as they have to share units with other families [regardless] of whether they are married or not,” said Mr Njeru in an Ipoa housing inspection report.
He further observed that the problem would get worse as new police officers join the force.
“The house supplementation of Sh3,500 per month is not enough though and this can only enable one to live in a slum. In order to cope with the high rent in decent areas, police officers are forced to engage in corrupt practices so as to raise the amount they need.”
Ipoa inspection reports highlighted that bureaucracy was the main problem confronting the police housing project.
“There is a problem with the mode of disbursement of funds for police housing. In the 2013/2014 financial year, the government allocated Sh1.2 billion for rapid development of 2,000 units through the National Housing Corporation.
“In the 2014/2015 financial year, funds for police housing were directed through the ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development. However, the government had previously directed funds for police housing through the parent Ministry at Harambee house,” Mr Njeru said.
IMPROVE CONDITIONS
He added that the National Police Service has been unable to pay contractors for the ongoing projects though the money was lying "idle" in the accounts of the ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development.
The new report was released only a week after Police Service spokesman George Kinoti disclosed that a 2010 Police Reforms Implementation Committee report had cited lack of housing as one of the major reasons police officers were demoralised.
As of 2010, the Kenya Police Service had a shortfall of 69 percent while the Administration Police had a shortfall of 78 percent.
Additionally, it suggested that the government work with the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics to do market research that would guide the government on house allowance rates for officers.
“The allowance-based scheme will see police living side by side with other members of the public and this will enhance community policing and strengthen security in the neighbourhoods,” he said.
The oversight authority said that only the paramilitary police units — the General Service Unit, the Rapid Deployment Unit, the Anti-Stock Theft Unit and the Rapid Border Patrol Unit — should live in police houses due to the nature of their duty.
