Police Spokesperson, Bruno Shioso, on Thursday, February 24, admitted that the police service is a wicked job, and added that the government was working on changing the narrative.
Speaking during an interview with Radio Citizen, Shioso noted that the service is listed among wicked jobs by scholars owing to the tough working conditions and risks associated with the job.
According to the spokesperson, officers are expected to always be on high alert as they could be directed to report on duty at any time. He added that in some instances, the police face deplorable conditions while on duty, which affects their mental wellbeing.
"Scholars have described the police service as one of the wicked jobs. When duty calls, they have no option but to oblige because the work must be done. Whether it is attending to an emergency in Kerio Valley or Lamu, the police will be tasked to respond," he noted.
In addition, the rigorous police training, living conditions in police camps, transfer policy and the poor welfare of the police are huge contributors to the poor mental health of officers.
The government, Shioso stated, is keen on addressing these issues that have been sidelined for years. He added that the changes will be effected, right from the training process.
"We have tried to improve our policies to make them friendlier. For instance, a recruit at Kiganjo does not undergo the same training as I did years back. I was trained for the police force, they are being trained for a service,"
"When it comes to housing, officers are no longer mandated to live within the police lines. The policy has been reviewed such that they now earn money to allow them to rent houses outside," he explained.
On matters pertaining to police promotions, Shioso clarified that stipulated guidelines dictate how to proceed with the same. He added that while advancing in education is among the thresholds, there are other criteria to also be considered.
"There are other factors in place which must be aggregated before one is promoted. For instance availability of the positions. We can only have one Inspector General of Police even if we have 12 candidates qualifying for the positions.
Despite more police officers missing out on promotions, Shioso clarified that their salaries were upgraded to reflect new statuses.
