PS Omollo » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 21 – Officers in the Kenya Prisons Service (KPS) and the National Youth Service (NYS) will see a salary increase beginning next month, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo announced on Wednesday.
This adjustment is part of the ongoing implementation of recommendations from the reform taskforce led by former Chief Justice David Maraga, aimed at improving terms and conditions within the National Police Service, KPS, and NYS.
The taskforce, appointed by President William Ruto in December 2022, proposed several reforms, including salary increments to boost morale, meritocracy, and professionalism within the services.
“Starting next month, September, 2024, officers within the Kenya Prisons Service and the National Youth Service (NYS) will also begin receiving the increased pay as part of the Presidential directive on the expeditious implementation of the Hon. Chief Justice (Rtd) David Maraga Reform Taskforce recommendations, that are being rolled out across these institutions,” Omollo said.
The announcement follows recent concerns from prison warders about delays in salary adjustments.
For the police force, Omollo noted that a salary increase was implemented from July 1, 2024.
In the first phase, the Interior PS said that uniformed officers received a 40 percent basic salary increase for constables, with the percentage gradually decreasing for higher ranks, down to a 3 per cent increase for senior officers.
The reform process is planned to span four years, from 2024 to 2028.
Omollo said that the process will be guided by a strategic framework focusing on four core areas: leadership within the three services, oversight and accountability, institutional capacity development and human resource management, and operational preparedness and logistical capability.
To ensure effective implementation, the Interior PS noted that Technical Committees have been established to develop legal and policy frameworks.
“To ensure seamless implementation of the reforms, we have established Technical Committees on Development of the Legal and Policy Frameworks covering the three Services that have also been officially gazetted,” Omollo said.
These committees will propose amendments to key security sector laws, including the National Police Service (Amendment) Bill, the National Police Service Commission (Amendment) Bill, and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Amendment) Bill.
Additionally, the National Correctional Services Policy and the Kenya Correctional Services Bill are currently open for public participation.
Omollo added that the policing technical working group is also developing the National Forensic Laboratory Bill and reviewing police training policies, curricula, human resource guidelines, career progression, and welfare management frameworks.
“Reform units have been established across the National Police Service, the Kenya Prisons Service, and the National Youth Service to coordinate the implementation of the reforms,” he said.
He pointed out that a dedicated police reform unit is now operational within the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, hosted by the Directorate of Reforms at the NPS.
Similarly, KPS has set up a new directorate for prison reforms, and NYS has formed a reform committee.
Omollo reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to the successful implementation of these reforms.
“We reaffirm our commitment to fully implementing these reforms which are essential for strengthening the country’s security sector and enhancing service delivery to all Kenyans,” he said.
On August 5, the government’s commitment to increasing salaries for prison officers and police personnel received a boost with the allocation of 3.5 billion shillings in the Supplementary Appropriations Act, 2024.
A statement from State House said President Ruto assented to the law which set aside the funds to go towards the enhancement of remuneration in line with the recommendations of the Report of the National Taskforce on Police Reforms chaired.
The team lead by Chief Justice Emeritus David Maraga says the gesture will promote the dignity and living standards of the officers in the security sector.
“The Bill has also set aside Kshs. 3.5 billion towards the enhancement of remuneration for the officers serving in various security organs in line with the recommendations of the Report of the National Taskforce on Police Reforms chaired,” read the statement.
This increase marks the first salary adjustment for police officers since 2020.
About The Author
