Grumbling over low pay among graduate police officers as well as complaints of unfair promotions has now reached the corridors of justice.
In a suit filed by four police constables, National Police Service Commission (NPSC), Inspector-General of Police Joseph Boinnet and the Attorney-General have been taken to court over the two issues.
Together with activist George Barasa, officers Evans Muthuuri, Ruth Odikara, David Ochom and Linet Njagi claim that they have degree certificates yet their pay is the same as that of non-graduates.
In their case, they claim that while graduate officers move to Job Group J after presenting a degree certificate, they instead earn just as ordinary police constables In Job Group F.
The four are faulting NPSC for refusing to follow this practice and pay them as required as well as promote them to the rank of an inspector.
“NPSC has confirmed that upon submission of respective degree certificates, graduate police constables would be accordingly remunerated in keeping with the January 1, 1969 practice, paying them under Job Group J. Notwithstanding this commitment, our employer continues to ignore, neglect or refuse to pay us and other qualified graduate constables,” they said.
Employment and Labour Relations Court Judge Byram Ongaya certified the case as urgent and directed that the matter be heard on March 7, 2019 after the sued parties file their responses.