• Police officers living with disabilities are left without assistive devices or any meaningful help, the report says.
• Team says pursuing compensation by officers injured or disabled in the line of duty is an additional pain to the physical injuries they bear.
Image: DCI
The system for compensation of police officers injured on duty is broken, a report shows.
The report by the team led by former Chief Justice David Maraga says pursuing compensation by officers injured or disabled in the line of duty is an additional pain to the physical injuries they bear.
Police officers living with disabilities are left without assistive devices or any meaningful help, the report says.
Officers nursing injuries or recovering from disabling accidents or attacks have to travel to Nairobi countless times to chase their compensation, which never comes and when it does, it is meagre.
The team says it was informed that the legal and administrative framework to cater to the NPS officers dependents after loss of life, terminal illness and injuries "has some significant challenges".
"When officers are injured, processing compensation takes a fairly long time and, in some cases, officers complained that the awards are not commensurate to the injuries sustained,” it says.
The system for pursuing compensation claims in case of accidents and injury is manual and centralised in Nairobi.
Officers told the task force they are compelled to travel to Nairobi from their duty posts to follow up the compensation.
The report says many officers lack knowledge and information on how to initiate a compensation claim, resulting in time-barred applications
The task force also received submissions on the condition of NPS officers living with disabilities. Most become disabled as a result of injuries in the course of their duties.
The team met officers who have lost their sight and others on wheelchairs but who are not accorded the support they need and have no path to career progression.
“There is no policy at the moment to guide the needed professional support to these officers and are largely ignored even with respect to career progression. Those who have lost their sight too do not have an aide assigned to assist them to get around,” the report says.
Compensation for accidents and occupational diseases for KPS officers is covered under the Work Injury Benefits Act, 2007 (Wiba).
Wiba covers the hours the officer is at their place of work.
Besides the provisions of Wiba, the government has introduced the Group Personal Accident scheme, which is funded by the National Treasury and currently covered by Britam Insurance Company Ltd.
The GPA covers permanent bodily injury or death arising from bodily injury or death in the line of duty. It provides a 24-hour cover to employees whether within or outside the country.
The task force recommends the automation of the process of filing and settling such claims to reduce the turnaround time of payment.
It also recommends that the service conducts impactful and sustained sensitisation on procedures and processes of lodging claims in case of injury or death.
In the event of an injury or death, the officer-in-charge should alert the HR office that shall immediately inform either the injured officer or his family and advise on the procedure of lodging claims for compensation.
The task force recommends that the National Police Service Commission fast-track the development of a policy on officers living with disability.