Police, prisons and NYS officers to get pay increment in July

The final phase of salary increment for officers in the National Police Service (NPS), Kenya Prisons Service (KPS), and the National Youth Service (NYS) will be implemented in July 2026, the Interior Ministry has announced.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, March 4, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said the pay review marks the completion of a multi-year reform programme aimed at improving welfare, professionalism and service delivery across the three institutions.

“The last phase of the salary review for officers in the National Police Service, Kenya Prisons Service and National Youth Service will be effected in July 2026,” said Omollo.

Under the new structure, a police constable in the lowest cadre will earn up to Sh57,700, up from Sh38,975, a 48 per cent increase. Constables graduating from police training colleges will earn a starting salary of Sh29,296.

NYS officers in the lowest cadre will earn a minimum of Sh26,222 and a maximum of Sh37,912 under the revised pay structure.

According to Omollo, the salary adjustments are part of a broader four-pillar transformation framework focusing on institutional capacity development, operational preparedness, oversight and accountability, and human resource management.

“This is the highest cumulative pay increase for officers over three consecutive years since independence,” he said, noting that lower-ranking officers are the main beneficiaries of the reforms.

The salary increment took effect on July 1, 2024, in phases and is part of reforms to strengthen accountability and improve the welfare and working conditions of officers across the security sector.

According to Omollo, more than 50 per cent of the planned reform actions across the three services have now been implemented, with the National Police Service leading at 57.2 per cent overall implementation.