Deputy Inspector-General of the Kenya Police Service Eliud Lagat has revealed that police officers have gone up to three months without receiving their allowances, with arrears totalling Ksh70 million.
Speaking before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security on October 27, Lagat asked lawmakers to consider allocating additional funds in the next supplementary budget to clear the outstanding payments.
“I would humbly ask that you have a look at it in the next supplementary budget. Already, we have arrears of Sh70 million. Most officers have not been paid for the last two or three months, and we are struggling with that issue,” Lagat told the committee.
The disclosure follows a statement by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua that police officers were unhappy with the current administration over low pay and poor working conditions.
“The police officers are unhappy because they are being forced to work with goons, which is against their oath of office. Lastly, they are unhappy that, against their training, they are being forced to harm and kill Kenyans,” he said.
DIG Eliud Lagat Tells MPs Police Officers Have Gone Months Without Allowances
Eliud Lagat also raised concerns about delays in enrolling newly recruited officers under the Social Health Authority (SHA) medical cover, saying some officers who had recently completed training were not yet fully enrolled.
Additionally, the Deputy Inspector-General Eliud Lagat sought Ksh60 million to facilitate the transfer and rotation of officers across the country, including those moving between Mandera, Busia and Narok.
Eliud Lagat said the transfers needed to be undertaken early to give officers time to familiarize themselves with their new working environments before the 2027 General Election.
“It is high time that we do it now, even before December 2026, so that they can acclimatize and get to know the environment before the elections,” he said.
Additional Funding for Police Officers
Meanwhile, General Service Unit (GSU) officials asked Parliament to push for additional funding to improve accommodation, equipment and allowances for officers deployed to challenging environments.
Benard Kibet Yegon, a Superintendent of Police in charge of Planning, Research and Reforms at GSU headquarters, said some officers lived in worn-out tents that exposed them to harsh weather.
“The tents are really wearing us out. We could put up some semi-permanent structures in these camps. It requires a little funding,” Yegon said.
He urged the government to allocate funds for semi-permanent housing, modern equipment, ammunition, drones and surveillance technology to strengthen the unit’s operational capacity.
Also Read: Revealed: New Pay Structure and Allowances for Police Officers Maraga Report Proposed
Yegon also called for a review of the Ksh2,000 monthly allowance officers in the specialized unit receive, citing the demands and risks of their assignments.
The unit also sought to implement a special operations allowance previously approved for another specialized formation, as well as funding to establish five operational commands.
Committee chairman Gabriel Tongoyo said lawmakers would identify priority requests for consideration in the forthcoming supplementary budget and subsequent budget estimates.
He noted that the committee’s oversight role included assessing whether allocated resources were meeting the operational needs of security agencies, while acknowledging competing demands on public finances.
Also Read: NPS Introduces New Training Modules for Police Officers
Allowances Paid to Police Officers
In addition to their basic salaries, police officers are entitled to various allowances under the new applicable remuneration structure.
These include house, commuter, prisons, housing supplementation, entertainment, extraneous, domestic servant and annual leave allowances.
The amounts vary depending on an officer’s grade, duty station and eligibility.
For example, a Police Constable in grade PG1 receives a monthly house allowance of KSh9,500 when stationed in Nairobi, KSh7,000 in Cluster Two towns and KSh5,500 in other areas.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and X Account for real-time news updates.
