Threats to sack police officers who for the past week have been on a go-slow should are counterproductive and likely to make the situation worse.

Sections of the regular and administration police have been on a week's go-slow to press for salary increases and arrears which the government promised but failed to deliver.

The fault lies not with the police but with the government which should not make promises it is unwilling or unable to keep, especially to the essential cadres of public service.

The blame may also lie squarely on the shoulders of the police top brass who seem not to have been paying heed to the long-running discontent within the ranks until now when they threaten to sack the disgruntled officers.

The arrest of a policeman in Bungoma for allegedly inciting his colleagues to stage the go-slow may backfire as it might embolden those who have real grievances which are not being addressed.

It is a mark of the police restraint and perseverance that the officers have not taken to the streets as other civil servants usually do to press for their demands. Let the government live up to its duties, responsibilities and obligations.