Interior and National Administration Principal Secretary Dr. Raymond Omollo has announced that the government is seeking about Sh.2 billion to support ongoing reforms in the National Police Service.
He said the reforms are aimed at addressing the long standing challenges in the security sector, particularly police welfare and working conditions.
“Whenever there is a criminal incident, people ask where the police are. For many years, there has been limited investment in the police service, which the current regime is working to handle,” Dr Omollo said.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV on Tuesday, he said President Dr. William Ruto’s administration is working to correct the challenges facing police officers across the country.
Dr. Omollo noted that one of the key reforms has been salary increases for police officers, especially those in junior ranks.
According to the PS, the salary review recommended increments ranging from 4 percent to 40 percent, depending on rank. He explained that the implementation was planned over three years, with the first two phases already completed.
“We have worked with Parliament, which has provided funding for the first two phases. We have also allocated about Sh 300 million for the final phase in the 2026/27 financial year,” he said, while thanking Parliament for supporting the initiative.
Dr. Omollo stated that the government is also investing in police housing to improve officers’ welfare. He said 5,000 housing units have already been developed, while another 23,000 units are planned.
He at the same time defended the ongoing recruitment of police officers, rejecting claims that the exercise is linked to preparations for the 2027 General Election.
Dr. Omollo explained that Kenya has historically fallen below the internationally recommended police-to-citizen ratio of one officer for every 400 citizens.
“When we came into office, the ratio stood at one officer for every 500 citizens. That is why we recruited about 10,000 officers last year to help bridge the gap,” he said.
He added that police recruitment is necessary to address staff shortages caused by attrition and to improve service delivery, not for political reasons.
The government is also implementing regular transfers within the police service to improve morale and efficiency.
“We want to ensure no officer remain at one station for more than three years. This is part of improving morale and enhancing service delivery,” he said.
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