Police chief to earn over Sh2m

Police chief to earn over Sh2m if plan is passed

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PHOTO | FILE Inspector-General David Kimaiyo. He will be paid Sh1.6million as allowances if a new proposal on perks for police bosses is approved.  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By AGGREY MUTAMBO amutambo@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Sunday, July 28   2013 at  20:15

Police boss David Kimaiyo’s pay could more than triple if new proposals are approved by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.

Under the pay structure proposed by the National Police Service Commission (NPSC), the Inspector General will earn Sh1,689,500 in allowances in addition to his basic pay.

The basic pay for the Inspector-General ranges between Sh655,875 and Sh874,500 and he earns no allowances. However, the maximum pay could rise to Sh1.2 million if the NPSC proposals are adopted.

The Inspector-General would get a common allowance of Sh874,500, a house allowance of Sh500,000, an entertainment package of Sh50,000, an ‘extraneous’ allowance of Sh250,000 and Sh150,000 for domestic staff.

The recommendations are contained in a new set of pay packages forwarded to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission for approval.

If endorsed, it would mean that the Inspector General’s house allowance will be ten times the salary of a constable and 100 times what such junior officers earn as house allowance.

The lowest ranked police officer, a constable, gets Sh1,650 as house allowance in addition to a salary of between Sh17,190 and Sh32,880. A Senior Deputy Police Commissioner gets Sh60,000 as allowance.

Mr Kimaiyo on Sunday said the matter was with the NPSC and he could not comment.

“A team has been appointed to deal with the matter and I am yet to be briefed,” he said.

Attempts to reach Mr Johnstone Kavuludi, who chairs the commission were not successful.

In the new proposal, the basic pay for a constable will be increased from between Sh17,190 and Sh32,880 to between Sh25,699 and Sh49,156.

“It shows a huge gap between the officers,” an inspector who declined to be named said of the proposed allowances. “Extraneous allowances should be given to all police officers wherever they are, according to one’s rank.”

The NPSC has recommended that extraneous allowance be paid only to Constables at the G-COY company of the General Service Unit as well those at the Criminal Investigations Department dealing with finger prints, at the rate of 25 per cent of one’s basic pay.

However, the CID Director would take home Sh150,000 as extraneous allowance while a deputy inspector-general would get Sh200,000 compared to Sh250,000 for the IG.

The structure seen by the Nation also includes risk, hardship and field allowances and pilot, aircraft engineer and instructor allowances for those jobs. There is also a proposed allowance for officers on assignment to protect VIPs, those serving in the presidential escort, animal handlers and plainclothes officers.

The Salaries and Remuneration Commission wrote to NPSC last week seeking an explanation on why each of the pay segments had to be included.

“Please provide explanatory notes for the basis of other allowances and other benefits. Indicate who qualifies for other allowances, benefits and entitlements in your organisation,” the commission said in its letter.

SRC Deputy Director of Communications Ali Chege on Sunday said the commission was still studying the proposals.

“We want to ensure that whatever proposals we are receiving from different government departments, in the long run, there should be some semblance of equity,” she said.

The pay raise was among the recommendations by the National Taskforce on Police Reforms chaired by Mr Justice (Rtd) Philip Ransley in 2009 on how to reform the police service. But it has taken long, to the disappointment of many police officers.

Last week on Tuesday, the Inspector General of Police, Mr David Kimaiyo, told reporters in Nairobi that the officers would have their pay raised soon.

“We are very optimistic that the general welfare of officers will be improved,” he said.

Some officers had last week jammed the official police communication network to push for improved working conditions.

They said the government had failed to implement the final phase of a salary increment promised in 2010. The third increase was due in July.