Police officers in different parts of the country are currently living in darkness after the National Police Service (NPS) stopped paying for their electricity following the expiry of a February 1 deadline that required the officers to vacate police quarters.
More officers who have reportedly refused to move, may now have to live without electricity and water unless they obey the presidential directive.
On Wednesday, police officers living at the Central Police Station in Nairobi were issued with a notice to vacate their houses by February 20.
The terse notice, signed by Mr Simon Kerich, the OCS, stated that the officers must comply with the given date as “there will be no reminder over the same”.
According to earlier reports NPS was to give all officers “reasonable” allowances to enable them secure decent and affordable accommodation in their areas of operation.
However, most of the officers still living in police lines have cited severe housing shortage in some parts of the country, and their inability to service the high rents charged by landlords.
Their situation was worsened after the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) slashed allowances by close to half.
Following the SRC review, a sergeant in Nairobi gets Sh9,800 house allowance and Sh4,000 commuter allowance.
Sergeants in Mombasa, Kisumu, Nyeri, Eldoret, Kisii, Kitale, Kakamega and Malindi get Sh7,300 house allowance. Those in other regions will get Sh5,500. Most of the officers who spoke to the Nation vowed to stay put in their current residences due to lack of affordable alternative shelter.
In Nyeri Town, one-bedroom houses are going for between Sh7,000 and Sh15,000 based on location and size.
Going by allowances offered, the officers will have to live in single rooms or bedsitters whose monthly rent ranges from Sh4,000 to Sh6,500.
“Once subjected to tax, the so-called house allowance is not even enough to get me decent housing. I will have to live in a single room or bedsitter with my entire family,” an officer who spoke on condition of anonymity told the Nation.
In Othaya, Kieni and Mukurweini, police officers said they cannot find rental houses at all.
