Kenya Police Officers Jam Police Communication Network in Pay Protest

Disgruntled officers jammed police communication network in Nairobi claiming they were left out of salary increases awarded to civil servants.

Senior officers used mobile phones to communicate with their juniors due to persistent disruption of their walkie-talkie-based communication.

The disruptions started on Monday night, hours after Public Service minister Dalmas Otieno announced salary reviews for civil servants and National Youth Service personnel.

A review of police salaries was made in 2010 and the government announced that the increments would be implemented in three phases.

Officers were expecting the last phase to be implemented this month, following the 28 per cent increase in 2010 and 14 per cent last year.

Deputy Police Spokesman Charles Wahong’o said he was not aware of the problem.

“I’ve not received any reports where operations have been disrupted. Am also sure none of our officers has seen the (July) pay slips,” he said.

A senior officer who spoke to the Nation, but cannot be named because he is not authorised to speak to the media, said police communications were on and off for the better part of Thursday.

Some of officers said their communication gadgets simply went dead and in some instances, music played on their walkie-talkies after junior officers tampered with the system.

Similar disruptions were reported in Kisumu on Wednesday.

The officers said since no announcement had been made regarding their salaries, they interpreted it to mean there would be no salaries.

In one instance when the network was on Thursday morning, Nairobi Police Commander Anthony Kibuchi appealed to the officer to be “patriotic,” according to an officer who spoke to the Nation.

The pay for the least paid officer was raised from Sh18,155 to Sh34,000 per month, including allowances, if this year’s instalment is implemented in line with recommendations of the Justice Ransley commission on police reforms.

Source: Daily Nation