Police in go-slow over promised pay increase

By CYRUS OMBATI

Murmurs of discontent are brewing within the middle to lower ranks of the police and prisons services after news seeped through that they might not get recently promised salary increments.

The Treasury and the Directorate of Personnel Management have agreed not to implement in full a pay package approved for the officers until the Police Service Commission promised by the new Constitution is set up.

The pending pay increase is the second phase of a package earlier approved by the Ministry of Internal Security and Treasury, but the latter has defaulted on its pledge to submit Sh9 billion for the exercise.

Concerned at the impact this will have on morale in the force, police authorities have turned down half of the earlier projected amount that was provided two weeks ago, and asked that Treasury honour its pledge in full.

This means the officers’ pay slips will not reflect an increase of salaries and allowances this month, contrary to what was earlier announced.

Already, word on the default by the Treasury has spread to the members of the police and prison service prompting a silent "go-slow" in sections of the police, with some jamming of their communication system in Nairobi.

Disruption of services

Police operations were at the weekend paralysed after disgruntled officers, protesting the possible delay in increasing their pay, tampered with the communication system in Nairobi and Mombasa.

Senior officers were at some point unable to issue instructions via pocket radios, since some junior officers were using the same media.

The juniors told their seniors they would not take instructions unless the Government properly addressed the salary issue.

Some senior officers were consequently forced to switch off their radios, preferring to use mobile phones instead.

The problem was reported in Nairobi and Mombasa, with the seniors trying to plead with the junior ones to bear with the situation as it is addressed. Jamming of police communication also occurred last year, after Internal Security Minister Prof George Saitoti awarded the force an increment of 28 per cent, which they termed "meager".

"Radio communication is having a problem. Officers are issuing insults to superiors saying they will not work because the Government has taken them for a ride by failing to honour the second phase [of the increment]," an officer said.

Last year, a similar disquiet which crept in among junior officers, forced senior Internal Security Ministry officials to persuade the Treasury to grant them Sh5.1 billion, just hours before Parliament passed the ministry’s vote.

This was a hurried action to avert possible disruption of services, as junior officers were threatening to protest by refusing to provide security during the referendum on the Draft Constitution.

Other senior ranks include superintendents. Those in this grade and above are regarded as gazetted officers, and qualify to be appointed commissioners of police at the President’s discretion. In rural areas, they command police divisions, the equivalent of districts, and are known as OCPD (Officer Commanding Police Division).

Senior superintendents in Nairobi and other urban areas hold these positions. Those who talked to The Standard said officers in the Judiciary were awarded a 300 per cent increase in allowances from next month, and wondered why the Government cannot do the same for them.

Commissioner of Police Mathew Iteere, AP commandant Kinuthia Mbugua and Commissioner of Prisons Isaiah Osugo confirmed to The Standard they were yet to receive a circular from the Directorate of Personnel Management in the Office of the President showing the increment they expected.

Usually, before such an increment is implemented, a circular is issued stipulating what all ranks will get. Last year, when the first phase was implemented, the circular was issued on July 7, setting the pace for the increases. Well-placed sources told The Standard the Treasury wrote to regular and Administration police authorities two weeks ago saying it would release half of the projected money (more than Sh4 billion) towards the pay increment, but offer was rejected.

This prompted a crisis meeting on Friday morning between officials fromthe Treasury, Office of the President, Home Affairs Ministry, Directorate of Personnel Management and members of the Police Reforms Implementation Committee, led by their chairman Titus Naikuni, who is also Kenya Airways CEO. The meeting took place at Harambee House where officials blamed on the Treasury and the Directorate for the problem.

Even though the resolutions of the meeting were scanty, it is understood there was a standoff between the Office of the President and Treasury, with the former feeling the default may sabotage operations and affect the economic growth.

But Directorate and the Treasury officials are said to have insisted the proposed increments were pegged on the enactment of the new Constitution that will open gates for the establishment of a Police Service Commission.

"They say in the current status, the officers cannot earn more than what they have been awarded, because they are still under the Public Service Commission, which grades all civil servants into various categories," said an insider.

Payment of allowances

That explains why other than the economic restraints, the Government was unable to award junior officers more than 28 per cent for junior and 25 per cent for senior ones increment of their salary last year.

With the creation of a Police Service Commission, the police will be delinked from the Public Service Commission, hence opening the way for their salary increments as recommended in a report of a taskforce on police reforms that was published last November.

According to Commission for Implementation of the Constitution (CIC) chairman Charles Nyachae, a Bill that will create the police commission is yet to be published by the Attorney General.

Saitoti and his Permanent Secretary Francis Kimemia had earlier on announced that Sh9 billion had been set aside towards the increment of police salaries and allowances starting end of this month.

According to the two some Sh4.7 billion was budged for the payment of the allowances to some police and prison officers, in addition to the Sh5.1 billion in the proposed new salaries.

"In July 2010 the Government started a three-year salary review at a cost of Sh19.6 billion. The second phase, which will factor adjustments in allowances, will be implemented from July 1 at a cost of Sh9 billion," said Saitoti in an earlier statement.

Those who are supposed to get the allowances include officers in the Presidential Escort, General Service Unit’s feared G Company, Flying Squad, Special Crime Prevention Unit, Administration Police Rapid Deployment and Border Patrol Units, Instructors, Police Air Wing and animal handlers.

Other officers will benefit when other allowances such as house and hardship that are common to the civil service and applicable to both police and prison service are reviewed in the future.

AP boss Mbugua told The Standard they understand there is a serious challenge on the proposed salary and allowances increment.

Kimemia did not respond to our inquiries, but one of his aides said they are worried about the possible delays.