Kenya: That the police will receive a pay hike is welcome news indeed. For a long time, these law enforcement officers have had to work in squalid conditions with poor pay.
It is sad to note that though they work in hazardous conditions that expose them to many risks, they have for long had to do without a comprehensive insurance policy or compensation arrangement in case they lose their lives in the line of duty.
Add to that the ignominious housing arrangement where up to three families are crammed into one poorly maintained house and it leaves no doubt that much as we like to pillory them for their inadequacies, theirs has for years been largely a thankless job.
And though no details have been given on the salary increase, the police must reciprocate the kind gesture by moving with alacrity to stem the wave of crime that has of late swept across the country, the most shocking highlight of which was the cold-blooded murder of an MP’s parents in Nyanza, even after he had warned that his life was in danger.
The fact that the family of such a senior State officer could be murdered early in the evening is a real cause for concern.
Decongest prisons
It does not help matters that this rampant insecurity is being reported at a time when more than 4,000 prisoners are being released through a presidential pardon in the spirit of the golden jubilee celebrations.
The reason given for releasing the prisoners is that State penitentiaries need to be decongested, which makes perfect sense considering that it has become necessary to even reconsider jailing petty offenders in light stretched correctional facilities.
Be that as it may, questions have rightly been asked touching on whether clemency should be extended to free those who have reformed or in efforts to decongest prisons. But now that the decision to release the 4,000 seems to have been made, it behooves the police to work extra hard to ensure that Kenyans and their property are secure especially in this season of festivities when criminal activities are likely to escalate.
Brick wall
The police service must go the extra mile not just because they have been given a pay hike, but because it is their constitutional duty to make the country secure.
Besides, there has been a public outcry regarding police reforms. By reining in the criminals terrorising Kenyans across the country, the police will have shown commitment to reforms.
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