Pay Rise for Police and Prison Warders

The salaries of regular and Administration Police officers, prison warders and National Youth Service officers have been increased and back-dated to January 1, this year.

Officers will benefit from new scheme to harmonise civil servants' salaries.

Now, the lowest paid police officers - including entry level recruits and constables - will now earn Sh11,010 per month up from Sh10,000. The highest salary for this group will be Sh17,790 instead of the previous Sh16,080.

The entry point for Corporals will be Sh14,370 per month while the highest salary for the grade will be Sh27,435 per month.

Highest paid

In job Group Three, the lowest paid officer will earn Sh19,710 up from Sh17,790. Sergeants belong to this category. The highest paid officer in this group, a senior sergeant, will earn Sh29,305 up from Sh26,500.

Officers in job Group Four will earn Sh21,735 up from Sh19,710 while the highest paid in this category will earn Sh32,270 up from Sh29,305. Police inspectors fall in this group.

The entry salary for Deputy Commissioner of Police will be Sh43,525 and can rise to Sh61,000 per month. The increment does not include other perks such as house, risk and uniform allowances.

According to a statement from the Ministry of State for Public Service, the changes target officers in job group one to 10.

Early this year, the security forces were awarded risk allowances for helping the Government quell the post-election violence in which more than 1,200 people were killed and property worth billions of shillings destroyed.

In April, prison warders went on strike to demand that they too be paid the risk allowances. Their demands were later met after they threatened to release hardcore criminals.

The increases had been awarded at the end of last year but the officers rejected them, saying the money was too little. The changes translate to an average 10 per cent for police constables who form the bulk of police officers on the beat.

The effort is part of the Government's programme to improve the terms and conditions of civil servants.

Officers promoted to job Group Five will now earn Sh23,165, up from Sh21,060. The highest paid in this group will take home Sh34,460 which is Sh3,285 more than the current earning.

Superintendents in the various arms belong to the this group.

Officers promoted to job Group Six will now earn Sh25,640 up from Sh23,165. The highest paid officer in the category will collect a pay-cheque of Sh37,745, which is Sh3,285 more than the current salary. Senior superintendents belong to this group.

The move also means that the disciplined forces sharing the same job grades will earn the same salary, as the Government continues to harmonise salaries in the civil service.

"Those converting to the new salaries will retain their current incremental dates while those whose incremental date falls on January 1, will be granted their annual increment on the old scales before converting to the new salary points," said the statement signed by the Ministry's Permanent Secretary, Mr Titus Ndambuki.

The conversion of salaries will be processed automatically through the integrated payroll and database system.

"It is emphasised that the salary conversions should be verified immediately in order to ensure that any errors are detected and corrective measures taken promptly," Mr Ndambuki said.

There are more than 35,000 police officers in the country, a number which is still considered inadequate by international standards.

The ratio of police to wananchi is about 1:600 while the international standard is 1:400. However, there are more regular than Administration Police officers and prison warders.

Related terms: police, prison, property, salaries, strike