Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has announced scholarship opportunities for students from families of police officers killed in the line of duty.
Speaking during the fifth National Police Service (NPS) and Kenya Prisons Service (KPS) Commemoration Service for fallen heroes and heroines, Kindiki said a fund will be rolled out in the financial year 2023/2024.
Further, the CS said the money will help the families of the 37 officers who lost their lives in the brave execution of duty from November 2022 to November 2023.
“An endowment fund will be operationalized in the Financial Year 2023/2024 to provide scholarships for families of officers killed in the brave execution of duty,” Kindki is quoted by the NPS.
CS Kindiki has announced that he has received the policy guidelines for the operationalization of the fund, which will be managed by the beneficiaries themselves.
NPS to Absorb Widows-Kindiki
Kindiki also stated that plans are underway to absorb qualified widows/widowers of the departed officers into the public service in an effort to alleviate the bereaved families’ financial burden.
Similarly, IG Japhet Koome assured the families of the fallen heroes that they remain part of the NPS family.
Also Read: Form One Scholarships for KCPE Students – How to Apply
Message to Police Officers
Additionally, Kindiki took issue with the blanket condemnation of police officers, most of whom selflessly put their lives on the line to protect the public.
He called for empathy and objective review of the work of the NPS and said that the efforts to enhance professionalism in the Service are a work in progress.
Also, the CS also urged police officers to promptly use their weapons to protect themselves and the lives/property of law-abiding citizens against dangerous criminals.
He added that the government of Kenya will stand with such officers to the end.
Warning to Offices
However, Kindiki warned that rogue officers who misuse their weapons or abuse their power will bear individual responsibility for their actions.
Referencing an incident in which a police constable from the Nakuru Central police station is said to have shot dead a barmaid and injured three people on Wednesday night, the CS reiterated that National Police Service Commission (NPSC), Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) and NPS will continue speaking the same language during such cases and ensure fairness and expeditious delivery of justice.
Also Read: Murkomen, Kindiki Ranked Among Best Five CSs in New Survey
Equipping NPS & KDF
Further, Kindiki revealed that the government has set aside Ksh.37 billion for the Police equipment modernization programme, with a similar amount also earmarked for kitting and arming the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
According to the CS, a team has already been sent to inspect and review the consignment of the equipment before it is delivered into the country in the next few weeks.
Security personnel operating in volatile and high-risk areas will receive personal protective equipment, more sophisticated weapons, as well as land and air mobility assets.
This will include armored carriers, mine-resistant utility vehicles, mine clearance vehicles, and mine flails.
