Nairobi Kenya — The National Police Service Commission (NPSC) has proposed that female officers be given a Sh30,000 maternity dress allowance for every pregnancy under the current uniform arrangement.
Speaking during their presentation of the police reforms recommendation to the Police reforms taskforce, the commission's chairman Eliud Kinuthia observed that the police uniform is not gender responsive when it comes to female officers who are pregnant.
"The uniform police is not gender responsive when it comes to women police officers during pregnancy and it's not provided for under the current uniform arrangements," said Kinuthia.
"The commission therefore recommends a maternity dress allowance of Sh30,000 during pregnancy."
The commission still insisted on a pay allowance increase for police constables from Sh20,390 to Sh36,450 to make up for the extended period during which there hasn't been a basic salary review.
According to Kinuthia, an increase in pay will improve police officers' quality of life and encourage them to work hard at their various jobs.
"The last time the National Police Service Commission reviewed Police basic salaries was in 2020 and this was the fourth and the last phase of the job evaluation results for Police officers negotiated between the NPSC and the SRC in 2017," he said.
"Therefore, we recommend for Increase of the Basic Salary of a Police Constable by 79% to compensate for the long period Police officers have stayed without Basic salary review."
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Additionally, the Commission also recommended enhancement of the hardship allowance for members of National Police Service at the rate of 30% of the basic salary saying it will help cushion police officers from adversities arising from work.
Kinuthia added that the Police officers who are working in hardship areas earn less hardship allowance compared to teachers who are paid at the rate of 30% of their basic salary.
The task force was appointed by President William Ruto in a gazette notice dated December 22, 2022.
The journey to reform police and prison service kicked off on Monday, after the Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome, presented their memorandum to the task force on the improvement of the terms of the National Police Service and Kenya Prisons Service chaired by former Chief Justice David Maraga.
Maraga said the task force will identify legal, policy, administrative, institutional, and operational constraints on effective service delivery by the Kenya Police Service and Kenya Prisons Service.
