Almost 300 officers within the police service are likely to become jobless once a personnel restructuring process kicks off.
Even though the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government had indicated that no police officer would lose their jobs in the new reforms, some of the changes proposed will automatically scrap some positions within the ranks
Officers scheduled for retirement and the cohort that has been serving on extended contracts are likely to face the exit. Most of the officers on the contract extension had their term in service prolonged to help in last year’s general elections.
The National Police Service is also planning to replace all officers whose academic and professional abilities do not match current positions.
All those security agents possessing suspicious academic papers will face the axe, according to a report by The Star.
Senior officers under the disciplinary radar are also likely to go home.
“These changes are aimed at creating a respected rather than a feared police force,” stated President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The President was confirming this development while presiding over a national security conference. He used the event to communicate radical and wide-reaching changes in the police force.
In the changes, the Head of State announced the merger of the Kenya Police and the Administration Police Service to a unit to be identified as the Kenya Duty Police.
Security actors, public policy analysts and Kenyans, in general, are still scrutinizing the possible effects of the changes as announced by the president.
