National Police Service Officers Get Pay Rise

NAIROBI Kenya August 23 -The National Police Service Commission has announced a salary increase for all officers effective this month, August 2023.

The new salaries recommended by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) will see a Constable receive Sh21,645 up from last month’s sh20,390 as their more experienced colleagues in the same rank pocket sh40,354 up from sh38,975 received last month.

A Superintendent of Police (SP) will pocket an extra sh5,549 as their salary increases from last month’s sh98,380 to sh103,929 this month, August.

An Assistant Inspector General (AIG) will now earn Sh209,079, representing a Sh11,249 increase from the previous month’s sh197,830.

The NPSC chair Eliud Kinuthia on Wednesday August 23 handed over the circular to the Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome for the processing of the August payroll.

“Out of the Sh27.1 billion that was allocated to all public servants in the country, police officers got a share of Sh3.6 billion, the rest went to other civil servants. This is the best we could get to be implemented in two phases, phase one amounting to Sh2.284 billion will be implemented in the current financial year and phase two’s allocation Sh1.317 billion in the 2024/2025 financial year,” Kinuthia said.

He added that the increment was part of the government’s promise to improve the welfare of police officers post–Covid and with the rising cost of living.

The chairman further clarified that the increment does not reflect the expected recommendations of the Taskforce on police and prison reforms chaired by former Chief Justice David Maraga.

“There is a clear delineation of mandate between a taskforce on a special assignment and a constitutional Commission. The review would have taken place whether there was a taskforce or not, our constitutional mandate did not stop because the taskforce is there,” said Kinuthia.

The new salaries were however contested amongst the members of the commission before they were agreed upon yesterday and are likely to ignite criticism owing to the glaring incremental differences.