Police officers have secured a pay rise backdated to July even as promotions are suspended pending the appointment of a substantive Inspector-General of Police.
Fresh recruits into the service have got a Sh4,000 pay rise while the highest increment of Sh21,000 goes to senior officials in the rank of senior assistant inspector-general.
On Thursday, the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) announced the suspension of promotions that have sparked protests of nepotism and favouritism.
Some 1,957 police officers have so far been promoted through the merit promotions announced by acting IG Gilbert Masengeli that also come with pay increments.
Mr Eliud Kinuthia, the commission’s chairperson, declined to reveal the amount of money that the government will spend on officers who have been promoted.
Addressing journalists at the commission’s office in Nairobi, Mr Kinuthia said NPSC has stopped further promotions on merit until Mr Douglas Kanja, the IG nominee, assumes office.
“The commission urged the acting Inspector-General of Police to temporarily halt promotions on merit in the meantime as we wait for the substantive appointment of the Inspector-General,“ Mr Kinuthia said.
Mr Kinuthia said that following the outcry over the promotions, the commission would not hesitate to review them.
“We are open for any review and we will not hesitate to review any decision that does not meet the [NPSC] guidelines,” Mr Kinuthia said.
He defended Mr Masengeli from allegations of over-stepping his mandate by effecting the promotions while in acting capacity.
Mr Kinuthia said that at a meeting on September 2, the commission had mandated Mr Masengeli to identify the candidates for promotions.
There has been hue and cry from a section of the police who felt that the promotions had been skewed to favour friends and relatives of some of the senior police bosses.
Officers who spoke to the Nation on the promotions said some well-connected officers, some who are yet to meet the necessary requirements, had received their promotion letters.
Promotions and salary review are among issues that President William Ruto’s administration had pledged as part of police reforms.
On July 25, Head of Civil Service Felix Koskei wrote to the National Treasury on the salary review of police officers.
In his letter, Mr Koskei said the proposed salary review for uniformed officers was in line with recommendations by the National Taskforce on Improvement of the Terms and Conditions of Service and other reforms for Members of the National Police Service and the Kenya Prisons Service.
Mr Koskei said the government had set aside Sh1.3 billion for the police salary increment. He added that the president had directed all uniformed officers from the lowest rank (constable) receive a minimum monthly salary increment of Sh4,000.
Police constables, who number 74,000, form the bulk of the workforce in the police.
