Kenyan police salaries are set to increase massively as part of government reforms to improving their working conditions and living standards. President William Ruto announced on Monday that the government has set aside a budget of Ksh25 billion to improve the working conditions and welfare of all police officers.
He said beginning July, the government will increase the salaries of police officers by up to 40% in line with the recommendations of the taskforce that was led by former Chief Justice, Mr David Maraga. These reforms are being undertaken to ensure security officers discharge their duties effectively.
“In an effort to secure the country from internal and external aggression, the government is implementing a police equipment modernisation programme at a cost of Ksh25 billion,” said President Ruto, when he flagged off the first 400 group of police officers for the United Nations peace mission in Haiti.
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Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki thanked the President for the police modernisation programme, saying it was making the officers effective in their work.
On Haiti, he said the country was making history in the deployment of police officers for the peace mission in Haiti. “In the past, participation of police officers has been limited. But we are now making history in the deployment of our police officers to the peace mission in Haiti,” he said.
The Kenya Police salary and allowances depend on many factors, including educational level, years of experience, and rank.
The salary of Kenya police was increased by 100% in 2015, and the government spread the increment in four stages until 2018. A newly recruited constable currently earns around Ksh21,645 and assuming a 40% uniform increase, the pay grows to more than Ksh30,000. The Kenya Police salary increment will also apply to prison officers and National Youth Service (NYS) personnel, aiming to enhance service delivery within the security sector.
The National Police Service Commission (NPSC) in August 2023 unveiled the third remuneration review cycle for the officers and civilians within the service for 2021-2025. The review put the monthly salary of a newly recruited constable at Ksh21,645.
The salary scale for all officers-based on their ranks and years in service-received an increase of between Ksh1,255 to Sh9,439. Until then, police officers had not had a salary increase since 2020.
A long-serving constable currently receives Ksh40,354 (Ksh56,495) while a new corporal officer pockets Ksh27,879 (Ksh39,000).
A recently promoted sergeant officer who takes home Ksh38,829 will now earn Ksh54,360 whereas a long serving officer in the same rank who gets Ksh55,049 will take home Ksh77,068.
