Families of fallen officers paid Sh600 million compensation

Families of police officers killed in the line of duty have received over Sh600 million in restitution since the government established a life insurance scheme for the service last year.

Among those whose families qualified for the benefits is Corporal Bernard Tonui of the elite Recce Company of the General Service Unit. He died after an Al-Shabaab terrorist blew himself up during the raid on Garissa University College on April 2, in which 142 students were killed.

Corporal Tonui was the leader of the Crisis Response Team that killed four terrorists to end a day-long battle between the Special Forces of the military and the militants.

Families of the 21 officers killed pursuing cattle rustlers in Kapedo in October last year have also received reimbursements.

The scheme was set up because police service is a high-risk profession. The reimbursements are meant to ease the burden on the dependants of the officers, particularly spouses and children.

The Nation has established that many of the those who died were the sole breadwinners.

The families are the first batch of beneficiaries of the life insurance cover for the National Police Service effected in July last year.

Another 120 cases are pending at various stages before their families are compensated.

Officers who sustained career-threatening injuries are also lined up of for benefits.

Pioneer Insurance, a private company that won the contract to cater for a 107,000-strong personnel, including the Prisons Service, is paying out the money.

Police Spokesperson Gatiria Mboroki confirmed many claims had been settled and that the remaining ones would be paid once the identity of beneficiaries is authenticated.

“It was effected last year, immediately the agreement was signed between the ministry and Pioneer. Processing of burial benefits is done within 24 hours after claims are made and it is paid immediately,” said Ms Mboroki.

She added: “Once a beneficiary gets a letter of authorisation from the human resources section and presents it to Pioneer, the money is paid immediately, if there are no disputes by other relatives.”

She said families of all police families are aware they are entitled to the benefits. “After the agreement, the families were informed and so those who do not claim are either ignorant or lazy,” added Ms Mboroki.

An official from Pioneer said the compensation includes Sh150,000 as burial expenses for every officer and is paid within 12 hours after a claim is made. The life insurance claim takes a week to process.

But some of the claims have dragged through government bureaucracy after multiple ‘beneficiaries’ laid claim to the cash.

Police officers have been asked to fill forms and nominate beneficiaries to avoid delays in future.

In case an officer who has not registered a beneficiary is killed, the claimant is supposed to present to police headquarters, a marriage certificate, a letter from the local chief as well as burial and death certificates.

The human resources department will process the claims, after which they are submitted to the insurance company.

The scheme, part of ongoing police reforms, is aimed at improving officers’ welfare, thereby boosting their morale.

In the insurance scheme, the family of an officer killed during a shootout with gangsters or bandits gets 160 per cent benefits, an equivalent of eight years’ salary plus burial expenses.

The full settlement is also extended to officers killed in accidents, whose benefits are, however, calculated at 100 per cent.

Officers who sustain severe injuries leading to permanent disability are also considered for the full reimbursement.

The lucrative deal will also cover officers who die away from duty but the amount paid would be calculated at a lower percentage.

Officers in higher ranks are allowed to access the best hospitals but are restricted to Sh800,000 cover for inpatient treatment.

The Inspector General of Police, his two deputies in Administration Police and Kenya Police have benefits of up to Sh200 million in case of inpatient, which is administered under the National Police Service Commission scheme.

The Interior ministry tender committee is set to award a medical insurance cover for all officers this week. Two consortiums that tendered for the award last year were evaluated last month and one of them picked.