Taskforce on police reforms recommends 40pc pay rise for police during final report handover

President William Ruto (R) receiving the final report from the head of the taskforce on police reforms, CJ Emeritus David Maraga. [Source: WSR, Facebook]

Security officers in the police, prisons and NYS services to get a pay rise of 40 per cent in the next three years, if the recommendations by the National Taskforce is implemented.

While receiving the final report from the task force Chair Chief Justice Emeritus David Maraga at State House on Thursday, President William Ruto reiterated that the government would implement all the recommendations made.

“The task force concluded that the security services faced serious challenges that required urgent and comprehensive reforms,” President Ruto says.

In his speech, Ruto said there were ongoing talks with the Salaries and Remunerations Commission (SRC) and the National Treasury, to fund the implementation of the proposed changes.

He has also urged the National Assembly to cooperate when asked to pass or amend laws and policies in line with improving the service delivery in the security sector.

According to the report, the task force has established that inefficient leadership, structural and organisational weaknesses, Corruption and lack of funding and resources were the main challenges hindering service delivery in the security sector.

The task force found that the leadership of the security services lacked objectivity for excellent service delivery and was highly impacted by external factors like political interference.

Therefore, the report proposes limiting the service duration in a county to not more than three years, restricting intake to constable and cadet levels to have a clear direction for career progression.

The Maraga-led team also wants integrity values upheld in the recruitment and promotion of officers, investment in modern equipment and allocation of a supplementary budget to the security sector for implementation.

On December 21, 2022, President William Ruto named a task force to review operations of the police and prison service, but later included the NYS.

The task force was led by David Maraga, the former Chief Justice of Kenya, and comprised of experts from various fields and backgrounds.