Government begins auditing police degrees

The government will from next week start auditing all degrees held by police officers in order to clean the payroll after a pay dispute erupted over the reduction of salaries for graduate and disabled officers.

The pay cuts were effected on their March pay slips after it emerged that thousands of officers were presenting fake degrees in order to qualify for higher pay.

This took place despite a court order directing the State against adjusting salaries of its officers as proposed by reviews forwarded at the beginning of the year by the National Police Service Commission (NPSC).

Now in a circular sent to regional commanders, the Kenya Police Service has said that it will begin reviewing all the degrees held by police officers from Wednesday.

“The National Police Service Commission will visit counties from May 2 to May 5 in phase one of data collection on graduate police officers to enable the commission formulate policy guidelines,” said the circular sent out on Thursday by Larry Kieng, on behalf of the Deputy Inspector General.

“Graduate police constables are required to complete a questionnaire form available from the NPSC website and present themselves at indicated centres with original and certified copies of academic certificates,” directed Mr Kieng.

A police officer recruited after high school earns a basic pay of Sh25,000 as a constable. The salary is increased to Sh36,000 if the officer acquires a degree.

This amount is similar to what an inspector earns as basic pay or what those who join the force after clearing university get monthly.

Those who join the force with degrees are placed in job group J as graduate constables.

They are then slotted to seat in interviews known in security circles as boards. Those who pass are promoted to the rank of inspector, bypassing the ranks of corporal, sergeant and senior sergeant.

This jump in pay effected by Parliament in 1995 has pushed thousands of officers to join universities on an annual basis, sometimes through loans.

However, loopholes in the system have allowed crooked officers to present fake degrees in order to qualify for increments.

However, a knee-jerk reaction by Vigilance House to rectify the situation under the direction of NPSC last month has created a crisis, with some officers earning negative pay.

The commission wanted the salary of a graduate constable slashed to Sh18,000 and the housing allowance to be dropped to Sh9,000.

So huge was the public outcry that followed the slashing of salaries that the decision was withdrawn due to public pressure.

“For officers to qualify for payment, they must present their degree certificates to the inspector general, the deputy inspector general and director in criminal investigations for authentication,” NPSC chair Johnstone Kavaludi said.

The audit, set to begin next week on the order of the Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinett, could subject those found guilty of faking degrees to disciplinary measures.