Twitter erupts over slashed police salaries

The National Police Service Commission (NPSC) made adjustments in the payroll by slashing the amount mostly affecting the recently graduated and disabled police officers. Reports by those who have already received their March salaries through Kenya Police Sacco say that most have seen a salary reduction of up to Ksh 26, 000.

NPSC CEO Joseph Onyango is said to have written to IG Joseph Boinett on March 7 proposing the stoppage of additional payments and the reversal of tax exemptions, benefits of salary adjustments and variations based on disability.

The new implementation by NPSC has seen massive exodus as many officers handed in their resignations. According to the new salary draft, only those who have served for 12 years are eligible for terminal benefits.

The Central Organisation of Trade Unions Kenya through its Secretary General Francis Atwoli on Sunday, March 18 warned that NPSC’s move is against the International Labour Organization convention on the protection of wages.

"The government shall never harass police though wages. Reducing their salaries is equal to punishment. The police are doing a good job under extremely difficult conditions, yet instead of rewarding them, the NPSC wants to deny them their basic rights," he said.

NPSC’s actions have triggered a debate on social media with many Kenyans on Twitter arguing that officers need to get their full pay;

What possible rationale could there be to reduce salaries for police while simultaneously inflating the payroll with nonsense posts like chief administrative secretary and perpetually increasing pay and benefits for politicians ?— Darth Vader (@roomthinker) March 19, 2018

So the regime used the police to force legitimacy on people, used the police to kill and maim people who were against them...now the same regime is slashing salaries of the same cops...who would have thought— Meliod?s (@KAANAtion) March 19, 2018

How do you cut the salaries of police officers who goes out the way to ensure our country is safe including security of waheshimiwa who are looting this country dry. Are we not preempting anarchy? — moses Githengi (@mosesnjengaTTM) March 19, 2018

I support Tue mass resignation of the police officers. Cut down MCAs and MPs salaries before you get to the police officers. They deserve so much more than they're paid before the cuts!— Joy Inc ???????? (@JoyWangechiK) March 19, 2018

Why is it so hard to reduce MPs salaries but so easy to reduce Police Officer's salaries yet these people give in much more than is required of them. This is not right!— Jackson Kamau (@DjSoxxy) March 19, 2018

In a country where the ratio of police to citizens is 1:thousands and the security is tears and they want to slash their salaries... Wow can't imagine how they will be motivated smh— God's Plan???? (@Its_nimmo) March 19, 2018

Our priorities are lopsided. We pay politicians obscene salaries which they cannot justify. We pay senior public officers hefty salaries; then turn a blind eye as they steal & fail to deliver.
A well designed system can expunge politicians; but police are indispensable. — WaNduta (@WaNduta8) March 19, 2018

Cut mpigs salaries and pay police officers.— Hon Kuria CBS (@OptaHos) March 19, 2018

Fact that police officers are poorly paid aside, someone decided to cut by almost half the salaries of graduate & disabled in line of duty cops.

Salaries slashed in some cases by Sh26,000. Some in March have received Sh20 salary, some zero & some -ve pay. 1,400+ have resigned pic.twitter.com/5v18FZK2xn— Kenya West© (@KinyanBoy) March 18, 2018

Oooh dear! What have we become as a nation? Are these the same police officers we can rely upon to protect lives and property yet they are treated inhumanely? This county is only for the rich Scheaffer— Kelly G. Gitahi (@kellyGitahi) March 18, 2018

If they need to cut anyone's salaries let them do that to mps senators governor's president dp mcas BT not civil servants...they risk us by such damn actions— kennedy mutuma (@kennedymutuma) March 18, 2018