Police officers could soon smile all way to the bank if MPs pass a proposed law to enhance their pay.
The proposal by Embakasi East MP Babu Owino will see the National Police Service Act amended to allow a mechanism for increasing police officers' salaries.
Babu in a letter to National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi decries the low pay for police officers who risk their lives to protect Kenyans.
He wants the law changed to have officers’ pay reflect the nature of their work.
“The object of the proposed amendment is to provide a framework for increasing salary of police officers who put their lives on the line everyday to protect Kenyans and their property. They go into dangerous situations and deal with dangerous people, hence making their job hard and dangerous,” Babu's letter to the Speaker reads.
“Provide framework that will remove discrimination and lack of transparency in promotions and opportunities for officers.”
The lawmaker wants a system put in place to ensure police officers who obtain higher academic qualifications are automatically rewarded just like their counterparts in the civil service.
The proposal comes at a time the National Police Service Commission has announced plans to appeal a court decision directing that officers with degrees be remunerated in a manner commensurate with their qualifications.
Last month, the Labour Court ruled that graduate police constables should be paid the same as inspectors whether the degree was attained before or after joining the service.
Justice Byrum Ongaya faulted the NPS, accusing it of acting unreasonably and unfairly in the remuneration of officers.
However, NPSC and National Police Service have vowed to overturn the decision of the Employment and Labour Relations Court at the appellate court.
Babu also wants officers shielded from unnecessary deductions by the commission in respect to saccos.
“To introduce legislation that will bar National Police Service Commission from deducting huge chunks of their pay which has made police officers to get as low as Sh50 as others get negative pay credited to the sacco accounts,” the proposal reads.
