Are you interested in joining the Kenya National Police Service? Or maybe you’re just curious about Kenya police salaries, ranks, and allowances. Whichever the case, we’ve got all the facts for you in this article. As one of the largest public service agencies with 106,830 police officers, there are different ranks with different salaries and allowances.
Let’s look at Kenya police salaries, ranks, and allowances in detail below.
Kenyan Police Salary Scales
The Kenyan police job scales are groups that categorize police officers depending on their education qualification or years of experience. There are 12, including F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, P, R, and S.
The lower the qualification and experience, the lower the scale. For example, police constables with 0-level qualifications are under job group ‘F’ while higher qualifications are in job group ‘J’.
Kenya Police Ranks
The Kenyan police force has a hierarchical rank structure. Here are the ranks listed from the highest to the lowest:
- Inspector General: This is the highest-ranking officer in the National Police Service, responsible for overall leadership and management.
- Deputy Inspector General: Assists the Inspector General in managing and administrating the police force.
- Assistant Inspector General (AIG): Responsible for specific departments and divisions within the police force.
- Commissioner: Heads various directorates and divisions and is responsible for law enforcement and administration.
- Senior Assistant Inspector General (SAIG): Manages large regions or specific departments within the police service.
- Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP): Responsible for police divisions in certain areas or departments.
- Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP): Typically in charge of police stations and units.
- Superintendent of Police (SP): Manages sub-county police stations and departments.
- Chief Inspector (CI): Responsible for supervising police stations or specific units.
- Inspector of Police: Typically in charge of a section within a police station.
- Senior Sergeant: Has various supervisory roles within the police force.
- Sergeant: Performs law enforcement duties and may have supervisory responsibilities.
- Corporal: Senior non-commissioned officers responsible for supervising constables.
- Constable: Entry-level rank responsible for general policing duties.
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Kenya Police Ranks and Salaries
The earnings of Kenyan police officers are determined by their education level and rank within the force. In 2015, the government implemented a 100% salary increase, which was met with great enthusiasm among the police force.
The table below shows the police ranks and respective salaries:
| Ranks | Monthly Salary (Ksh) |
| Senior Assistant Inspector General | 852,241 |
| Senior Assistant inspector general | 274,890 |
| Assistant inspector general | 187,890 |
| Commissioner of police | 130,590 |
| Senior superintendent | 85,890 |
| superintendent | 73,020 |
| Assistant superintendent | 70,530 |
| Assistant Superintendent | 59,220 |
| Inspector of police | 53,820 |
| Chief Inspector | 50,220 |
| Sergeant | 45,540 |
| Corporal | 42,660 |
| Constable/Fresh Graduate | 32,880 |
NPSC Kenya Police Salary Changes
The National Police Service Commission (NPSC) has updated the salary scale for Kenya Police officers, proposing changes to various job groups. Here are the adjustments:
| Job group | Grade | Current Basic Salary (Ksh) | Increase (Ksh) |
| F | PG1 | 17,190 | 18,760 |
| G | PG2 | 22,410 | 42,660 |
| H | PG3 | 30,750 | 45,540 |
| I | PG4 | 33,990 | 50,220 |
| J | PG5 | 36,300 | 53,820 |
| K | PG6 | 40,080 | 59,220 |
| L | PG7 | 45,540 | 70,530 |
| M | PG8 | 48,660 | 73,020 |
| N | PG9 | 59,220 | 85,890 |
| P | PG10 | 98,040 | 130,590 |
| S | PG11 | 145,790 | 187,890 |
| R | PG12 | 180,090 | 274,890 |
How Promotion Is Done in the New Structure
Promotion in any police force is done when police officers meet some expected requirements and successfully complete required training. The NPSC has a career guidebook known as the ‘Career Progression Guidelines for National Police Service Personnel’, which emphasizes that police officers must undertake special courses before qualifying for the promotion. However, this procedure has been deemed discriminatory in some of its parts.
As a result, the commission has structured a well-defined promotion structure. This is aimed at motivating and as a retaining strategy for competent personnel. It also offers police officers clear job specifications, descriptions, and delineation of duties for every job level. Under this structure, police officers are only eligible for promotion after a three-year service in a specific rank.
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Kenya Police Allowances
Besides the monthly basic salary, police officers receive allowances to boost their income. The common allowance includes:
- Commuter Allowance: The commuter allowance is provided to help police officers cover the cost of commuting to and from their duty stations. The specific amount of this allowance can vary depending on the officer’s rank and location.
- House Allowance: The house allowance is designed to assist police officers in securing suitable accommodation. Like the commuter allowance, the exact amount of the house allowance may differ based on the officer’s rank and their posting location. It is intended to help offset the cost of housing and is subject to variations in different regions of Kenya.
- Uniform Allowance: Police officers in Kenya receive a uniform allowance to maintain and replace their work attire. This allowance helps cover the expenses of acquiring and maintaining their uniforms, which are essential for their duties and professional appearance.
- Leave Allowance: Leave allowance is granted to police officers when they take annual leave. It is meant to help them cover their expenses during their time off.
The lowest ranks of corporals and constables receive a house allowance of 9,500 for those in Nairobi, and a commuter allowance of 4,000 for corporals, and 3,000 for constables. For high ranked police they receive commuter and house allowance as follows:
| Police Rank | Nairobi | Mombasa, Kisii Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Kakamega, Kitale, Malindi, Thika, Nyeri | Other Counties | |
| House Allow. (Ksh) | Commuter Allow. (Ksh) | House Allow. (Ksh) | Commuter Allow. (Ksh) | |
| Sergeant | 9,800 | 4,000 | 7,300 | 5,700 |
| Chief Inspector | 15,700 | 4,000 | 11,300 | 8,150 |
| Police inspector | 24,100 | 4,000 | 15,000 | 11,000 |
| Chief inspector | 27,000 | 5,000 | 18,000 | 13,000 |
| Senior superintendent | 36,000 | 8,000 | 28,000 | 21,500 |
| Commissioner of police | 45,000 | 12,000 | 34,000 | 24,000 |
| Ass.Inspector General | 55,000 | 16,000 | 40,000 | 28,880 |
Joining the Kenya police
If you have a prospect of joining the Kenya police, you need to know what is required. Here is what is expected of the recruits:
Requirements
- You must be between 18 and 28 years old
- A minimum of a mean grade of D+ (D plus) in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) with a D+ in either English or Kiswahili.
- You must pass a physical fitness test, including running, push-ups, and sit-ups.
- You should be in good physical and mental health. You will undergo a medical examination to ensure you meet the health standards.
- The minimum height requirement is typically 5 feet 8 inches for men and 5 feet 3 inches for women.
- You must have a good moral character and no criminal record. Background checks will be conducted.
- You should be a Kenyan citizen.
- Female recruits should not be pregnant during the recruitment and throughout the training process.
- Must meet the requirement in chapter six of the constitution
The offenses that are prohibited during recruitment include:
- Canvassing directly or indirectly
- Intentionally present fake certificates or testimonials
- Engaging in corrupt activities
These offenses lead to disqualification, while arrests and prosecutions are further administered to offenses 2 and 3.
Under Section 25 of the National Police Service Act, willful presentation of misleading or false information is a crime. Upon conviction, the culprit is liable to pay a fine not exceeding Ksh200,000 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years.
Application Submission
Every applicant should fill out a form that you can get from the following locations:
- Commissioner’s office
- Your preferred Sub-county police commander or any police station
- Sub-county administration police commander
- Nearest Huduma Center
You can download the application forms from the following:
The application should have an attachment of the following documents:
- KRA pin certificate
- Copy of applicant’s testimonials and academic certificates
- Copy of birth certificate
- Copy of identification card (ID)
The documents attached to the application should be original, to be used for verification. They are later returned to the applicant after the recruitment process.
If selected during recruitment, you’ll attend training and are bound to work in the national police service for at least ten years.
