NAIROBI, Kenya – In a bid to improve the welfare and smooth transition of retiring police officers, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced that retiring officers will soon have the opportunity to be posted to the counties of their choice.
This move, Murkomen explained, is designed to help officers reconnect with their communities before retirement and ensure they have a seamless transition into civilian life.
“The plan is to post police officers to the counties they wish to retire in so they can familiarize themselves with the local communities before they retire,” Murkomen said.
He emphasized that this initiative aims to ease the retirement process and allow officers to reintegrate into their communities.
Murkomen provided an illustrative example, stating, “If a police officer from Turkana is first posted to Taita Taveta, where he marries, and is later transferred to Kisumu, he may choose to return to his home county or opt to retire in Taita Taveta. We will allow this choice, so they can start building relationships with the community before their retirement.”
Additionally, the CS addressed the issue of prolonged postings, revealing that no police officer will remain at a single duty station for more than three years.
“During my tour of the Coast region, I noticed that some officers have been stationed in particular areas for many years. We have agreed that no officer will stay in one place for more than three years,” Murkomen explained.
He emphasized that this rotation policy would prevent officers from developing close ties with suspected criminals while also providing them with broader experience across the country.
The policy also targets ending the practice of using hardship postings as disciplinary actions.
“An officer facing disciplinary action will not be sent to a hardship area as a punishment. All officers are equal, and they will serve their time in one location before being transferred,” he stated.
Furthermore, Murkomen outlined plans to enhance police welfare, including the construction of more police stations and the provision of decent housing to ensure officers live and work under dignified conditions.
Despite a recent High Court ruling that declared the formation of the 23-member presidential task force on police welfare unconstitutional, Murkomen expressed his commitment to implementing the task force’s recommendations.
“We will continue to implement these recommendations, even if it means being in contempt of court. The welfare of our officers is critical, and we will not let it remain unchanged,” he asserted.
Murkomen also addressed concerns regarding police promotions, promising fairness and equity.
“We want to ensure that promotions are handled fairly, so no officer has to wait an excessive amount of time for advancement,” he said.
