Nairobi has highest number of graduate police officers

Police recruits take oath of service during a pass out parade at Kiganjo Police College in Nyeri. An audit conducted by the National Police Service Commission has revealed 3,739 police constables are degree holders, with most of them serving in Nairobi. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • NPSC has embarked on a process to check the authenticity police officers’ academic papers following a pay dispute row.

  • Pay cuts were effected on their March this year after it emerged that several officers were presenting fake degrees so that they can qualify for higher wages.

The police service commission has revealed that 3,739 police officers are degree holders, with most of them serving in Nairobi.

According to the data shared on Twitter by National Police Service Commission (NPSC), the highest number of graduate police officers serve in Nairobi with 1,470 followed by Nyeri, 488, and Nakuru, 396.

Mombasa County has only 194 graduate police officers, Garissa 101 and Kisumu 94.

“Several police officers have acquired degrees in specialised fields but are currently in general duty areas. The commission has a pool of graduates from which we can easily pick officers to be re-designated as cadets,” said NPSC.

DEGREE AUDIT

In an exercised started in April, the NPSC has set out to check the authenticity of police officers’ academic papers following a pay dispute row.

Pay cuts were effected on March this year after it emerged that several officers were presenting fake degrees so that they can qualify for higher wages.

In January, NPSC and National Police Service (NPS) shocked after most officers, including those with law degrees, failed the inspectors' law test at the Kenya Police College in Nyeri.

The NPSC, through a circular in April, informed all regional commanders about about the exercise to audit degrees held by police officers in order to clean the payroll.

“In phase one, graduate police constables were required to complete a questionnaire form available from the NPSC website and present themselves at various centres with original and certified copies of academic certificates,” said NPSC in a statement.

VERIFYING PAPERS

The officers presented copies of their degree certificates between May 2 and May 5 in designated centres spread in 11 counties.

The commission said phase two of the project will now involve verifying the authenticity of the academic papers that have been submitted by constables.

The Johnston Kavuludi-led NPSC has involved the Commission for University Education, the State Department for University Education, NPS and the Kenya National Qualifications Authority in the exercise.

Officers required to submit their certificates fall in the ranks of constable, corporal, sergeant and senior sergeants from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Kenya Police and Administration Police.

POLICE PAY

A Form Four leaver recruited in the police service earns a basic pay of Sh25,000 as a constable. The salary is increased to Sh36,000 if the officer acquires a degree.

This amount is similar to what an inspector earns as basic pay or what those who join the force after clearing university get monthly.