The police service has revealed that 448 officers have been dismissed because of indiscipline in the last six years.
The National Police Service Commission (NPSC) said it heard 347 appeals and demoted 47 officers between 2013 and 2018.
During this period, the NPSC – which is the employer of more than 100,000 police personnel in the country – said 5,548 officers passed its vetting exercise.
The exercise was meant to clean up the police force, which has been listed as the most corrupt institution in the country in numerous surveys.
The details that are contained in the commission’s 2019-2022 strategic plan show that 37,948 new officers were recruited during the six-year period.
The plan was launched last week in Nairobi during an event presided over by Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i and NPSC chairman Eliud Kinuthia.
“The commission is a critical stakeholder in the security sector and therefore its leadership commitment to adopt a ‘whole of government’ approach to delivery of services to police officers and the public is a step in the right direction,” Dr Matiang’i said.
The commission promoted 7,707 officers, 11,707 were transferred while 400 were seconded to various agencies.
The revelations come at a time when police officers are increasingly being accused of involvement in crime, with more than 600 cases reported in the past year alone.
Insiders have blamed the worrying trend on lack of proper supervision.
“Some senior commanders don’t hold meetings or conduct supervision, as required, to know what is happening,” said a source who is aware of the mess in the service.
Rogue officers
The source further hinted that police commander know the identities of rogue officers under their watch and the actions by the NPSC did not come as a surprise to them.
The commission noted that it is facing administrative and legal challenges as well as inadequate resources.
It also revealed that it has developed policies on housing, counseling, training and chaplaincy, which it hopes will “guide the service to goodness”.
The commission, in its strategic plan, indicated that it plans to spend Sh254.7 billion in the next three years to address some of the challenges.
The money will be utilised in three tranches of Sh80.62 billion, 84.72 billion and Sh89.36 billion.
“The commission, through synergy building and collaborations, will lobby for increased funding from the Government through the National Treasury.
“Additionally, the commission, through a robust resource-mobilisation strategy, will engage development partners and well-wishers to fund its programmes and major flagship projects,” reads the strategic plan.
Matiang’i said the commission is mandated to design and implement programmes on recruitment, appointments and confirmation, determination of promotions and transfers, and to exercise disciplinary control.
The NPSC is also tasked with implementation of welfare programmes including terms and conditions of service, housing, insurance, medical, pensions, post-retirement welfare, and psychosocial and wellness support programmes.
“The commission seeks to pursue five strategic key results areas, which include restructuring, rebranding and synergy building, re-engineer efficiency and effectiveness through automation of commission information management systems, and delinking, harmonisation and rationalisation of civilian staff,” said Mr Kinuthia.
He continued: “It also seeks decentralisation of human resource services to the regions, counties and sub-counties.”
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