Public rumors have been greatly stoked by the National Police Service’s recent spike of resignations.
According to insiders, up to 40 officers have left the military in the last three weeks.
Seven officers who work for the Directorate of Criminal Investigations are among those who resigned.
The DCI refuted reports that they were compelled to quit with a 24-hour notice in a statement to newsrooms.
According to DCI, the officers who were said to have resigned were not coerced out of the military as had been claimed.
DCI said that, like in any other forward-thinking organization, the NPS’s Service Standing Orders adequately cover a staff member’s decision to retire in order to pursue other interests.
The detectives, who were based at several specialized departments within the Directorate, left to pursue employment in the private sector as, among other things, financial investigators, fraud specialists, and IT specialists.
This occurred at the same time as police headquarters reported having difficulties processing requests for resignations under the 24-hour notice regulation.
Any resignations must be accompanied by a letter of explanation, according to an internal memo written by Edward Mbugua, the deputy inspector general of police, on September 9.
A copy of the most recent pay stub, a letter from the Kenya Police Sacco, Harambee Sacco, or bank outlining how any loans would be repaid, as well as a letter of forwarding from the appropriate command, should all be enclosed with the resignation letter.
There are an estimated 1,500 police officers who quit the department each year, but it is their departure for better opportunities that has the law enforcement community on edge.
In addition, the National Police Service Commission mandated that new officers be bonded for 10 years, which means they cannot leave the field before the time period has passed, in order to prevent brain drain.
Recruits who wish to join the NPS but leave before completing ten years of service would be required to pay the government Sh1.2 million.
The commission claimed that the government spends over Sh1.2 million on each officer’s training.
These are a component of efforts to keep officers in the service.
The majority of officers, though, are discouraged for various reasons.
However, due to a variety of factors, including unfavorable working conditions and low pay, the majority of officers feel demoralized.
Tuesday, President Willam Ruto issued a decree allowing the Inspector General of Police to oversee NPS funding.
He claimed that the way the IG currently receives funding—via the Office of the President—has been weakening the office’s independence and authority.
“This circumstance will alter. I have ordered that the documents appointing the IG as the accounting officer and transferring the NPS’s budget from the Office of the President’s desk be placed on my desk for signature this afternoon,” he stated on Tuesday.
He claimed that the police’s financial independence will serve as motivation.
