Prisons boss moves to calm disquiet over promotions

The Kenya Prisons Service has urged officers aggrieved by ongoing interviews for promotions to raise their grievances.

In a memo sent to all regional commissioners of prisons, officers in charge and the Prison College in Ruiru regarding the promotional interviews for non-commissioned officers, Commissioner General Wycliffe Ogallo asked aggrieved officers to reach out to him directly.

“Also bring to the attention of all personnel under your command that any issues arising from the exercise should be channeled to the Commissioner-General of Prisons via SMS,” the memo sent last Thursday reads.

Two weeks ago, the Prisons Service announced interviews and promotions of 790 wardens to non-commissioned officers. These are the ranks of corporal, sergeant and senior sergeants.

It instructed all graduate wardens who have served less than 20 years to attend the interviews.

Promotions at correctional facilities have been a tense matter, especially to graduate officers who feel that their education should move them up the ranks.

The graduate warders say they are always bypassed during promotions in favour of less experienced and less educated officers and are concerned that the ongoing promotions were no different.

The guidelines issued by the service to guide the interviews initially limited constables with degrees to applying for promotion as corporals.

The directive caused uproar and a day later, the prison issued another circular that university degree holders could apply for any rank they felt qualified for.