A section of officers in eastern province have threatened to boycott work over their house allowances. The inspector to chief inspector ranks are paid between Sh2,000 to Sh2,500 house allowance.

The officers told the Star that this is discriminative as their counterparts in other parts of the country pocket Sh6,500. Police officers house allowances are paid according to their localities.

The officers from Meru, Tharakanithi, Mwingi, Kitui, Embu, Marsabit, Isiolo lamented that officers in these ranks are not allowed to live in police lines and are required to rent houses in towns.

They said it is difficult to rent a decent house with Sh2,000 in the towns. This has forced them to rent houses in slums and estates with little security where the same criminals they hunt down also live.

As a result, the officers said, their lives are constantly in danger. Other ranks from constables to senior sergeants live in the police line and are paid house allowances between Sh2,000 to Sh6,000.

The officers demanded the harmonisation of the house allowances to resolve the situation. The officers claimed that in 2005 there was a meeting at the police headquarters conference hall between deputy police commissioner Alice Kagunda on behalf of General

Hussein Ali where it was agreed that the allowances would be raised. Eastern provincial police boss Marcus Ochola declined to comment on and referred the Star to the police commissioner Mathew Iteere.