Disquiet in police service over hiring of cadets

There is disquiet in the police service following a decision by the government to recruit cadet inspectors even as thousands of graduate officers await promotion.

Officers who acquired university degrees expecting to be automatically made inspectors have not taken the decision lightly.

Some of the graduates waiting to be promoted were interviewed for the same positions last year.

In an advertisement in the dailies on Monday, the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) said it is planning to hire 300 cadets and 4,000 constables.

While qualifications for constable remains unchanged, it is the requirement for cadet inspectors that has sparked anger.

“One must be a citizen of Kenya, hold a Kenya national identity card and must be a holder of at least an undergraduate degree from a recognised university, with a minimum mean grade of C+ in the KCSE examination,” the NPSC advert stated.

Decrying discrimination

A constable’s basic monthly pay is Sh20,000 while a fresh inspectors gets Sh32,000.

Graduate constables term the decision to hire the inspectors discriminatory, adding that it blocks their hopes of promotion.

In a letter on their social media group pages, the graduate officers said the decision threatens the relation between them and the commission leadership, adding that it erodes their morale.

“Now that the same NPSC advertising the vacancies filed an appeal against a petition by graduates decrying discrimination, what motivated it to advertise vacancies for cadet inspectors from outside NPSC? What plan does the commission have for graduates in the service?” the constables asked.

Citing failed attempts to harmonise graduate officers’ salaries, they said the NPSC verified the number of degree holders in the service in May 2018.

Won case

The exercise, they said, was aimed at confirming the officers’ numbers and qualifications in readiness for promotion once vacancies arose “but the final report was left to gather dust at the commission’s headquarters”.

A total of 3,739 officers were found to be holders of graduate certificates in specialised fields. Of this number, some 1,771 were found to be serving in general duty areas.

Frustrated by apparent inaction by the commission, graduate officers moved to court in 2019 seeking to have their pay harmonised with their qualifications. They won the case.

The court ordered the commission to effect the changes for the officers.

It added that denying graduate constables a deserved pay was a violation of their rights.

However, the NPSC appealed the ruling on grounds that the pay rise was not tenable.

Inspector-General of Police Hillary Mutyambai said if the 1,774 graduate non-commissioned officers (excluding 335 prison officers) were to be paid as ordered by the court, there would be implications on the budget since the government would require Sh928 million for the new wage bill every year.

He added that a junior officer cannot claim an inspector’s salary by virtue of a university degree without the requisite training and experience.

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