Atleast Four police officers have sued the National Police Service Commission (NPSC), the inspector of police Joseph Boinnet and the Attorney General on condition they should be paid more and promoted.
The four include police officers Constables Evans Muthuuri, Ruth Odikara, David Ochom and Linet Njagi, together with activist George Barasa.
The four argued saying that while they are graduates and should be paid Job Group J salaries after presenting their certificates to their employer — as has been the practice in the service for 49 years — this has not been done, so they continue to earn Job Group F salaries.
In a statement they said, “NPSC has confirmed that upon submission of respective degree certificates, police graduate 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.”
In addition they said, “There is no good reason or explanation as to why police graduate officers in the same rank, with the same job description, get paid differently and are retained in two different job groups.”
Early this year, the commission said it would review the graduate constables’ salaries to match those of non-graduate officers.
The adjustments would have done away with their allowances, leaving some with little or no pay since they had taken loans to finance their studies.
The commission later shelved the plan, but the officers have been demanding that they be promoted to the rank of inspector.
The officers want the court to declare that their employer’s actions amounts to infringement of their rights and hence be compelled to pay all graduate constables Job Group J salaries from the date of graduation or employment.
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.