CS Kithure Kindiki: Kitty to be set up for families of officers killed during work

Interior CS Kithure Kindiki making his speech at the Administration Police Training College in Embakasi, Nairobi on November 25, 2022 during the passing out parade of 448 assistant county commissioners. [Collins Kweyu, Standard]

The government has pledged to set up a benevolent fund that will benefit the families of police and prison officers killed in the line of duty.

Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki said on Friday, December 16 that the kitty will be operational within the next 30 days.

The minister said the funds will be disbursed on an ex-gratia basis.

An ex-gratia payment is considered voluntary because the party making the payment is not obligated by law to compensate the individual.

Kindiki made the remarks at the Kenya Police Embakasi 'A' Training College during the memorial of 53 police officers and four prison officers who died in the line of duty in the last one year.

The CS said the scheme will complement the life insurance, death gratuity, last expense payment and injury compensation.

"The fund will be entrenched through the report of the presidential task force that will also review the terms and conditions of service for police and prisons officers and progressively increase the amounts payable as benefits to the surviving families of the fallen officers, and will expedite the processing of outstanding claims," said Prof. Kindiki.

The CS directed the relevant Interior ministry departments to convene a core team that will oversee the framework for establishing and administering the fund.

The team will have representatives from the Office of the Inspector-General of Police, the National Police Service Commission and the Kenya Prison Services.