President William Ruto has announced that police and prison officers in Kenya will receive their anticipated salary increases at the end of this month. This declaration was made during the swearing-in ceremony of Patrick Mwiti Arandu as the new Commissioner General of the Kenya Prisons Service at State House in Nairobi on Wednesday, July 24. Arandu takes over from Brigadier (Rtd) John Warioba, who is retiring.
In his address, President Ruto underscored the government’s commitment to improving the welfare of uniformed officers despite financial challenges. “As a commitment that I made to our men in uniform, from this month, we will be living up to our commitment to enhance the salaries of our policemen and our prison officers,” Ruto stated.
This salary increment is part of a broader promise made in 2023 to increase the salaries of officers in the National Police Service (NPS), National Youth Service (NYS), and Kenya Prisons Service by 40 percent over three years. The initiative follows recommendations from a police reforms task force led by former Chief Justice David Maraga. Ruto emphasized that the salary increase is essential for boosting morale, integrity, efficiency, and accountability within the security forces, which in turn would improve national security. The task force noted that low pay and mental health challenges among officers have led some to crime or, tragically, suicide.
In August 2023, the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) unveiled a remuneration review cycle, promising significant salary increases for officers and civilians in the service. A newly recruited constable’s monthly salary will rise from Ksh21,645 to over Ksh30,000, while a long-serving constable’s pay will increase from Ksh40,354 to Ksh56,495. Newly promoted corporals will see their salaries rise from Ksh27,879 to Ksh38,560, and sergeant officers will experience an increase from Ksh38,829 to Ksh54,360. Long-serving sergeants will have their salaries increased from Ksh55,049 to Ksh77,068. The salary increases will also benefit prison officers and NYS personnel, aiming to enhance service delivery in the security sector.
