Editor's Review

“The reform process is set to take four years, from 2024 to 2028, guided by a strategic framework."

Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo has announced that Prison officers and National Youth Service (NYS) personnel would receive salary increments starting September 2024.

In a statement on Wednesday, August 21, PS Omollo said the government has already increased the salaries of police officers in the first phase of the program. 

“Starting next month, September 2024, officers within the Kenya Prisons Service and the National Youth Service (NYS) will also begin receiving the increased pay as part of the Presidential directive on the expeditious implementation of the Hon. Chief Justice (Rtd) David Maraga Reform Taskforce recommendations, that are being rolled out across these institutions,” read the statement in part.

Omollo noted that the reforms in the security sector would take four years to be fully implemented and are guided by a strategic framework that focuses on four core areas.

“The reform process is set to take four years, from 2024 to 2028, guided by a strategic framework that focuses on four core areas that is; leadership within the three services, oversight and accountability, institutional capacity development and human resource management, and operational preparedness and logistical capability,” said Omollo.

The Interior PS mentioned that the government has established a Technical Committee on Development of the Legal and Policy Frameworks covering the three Services to ensure seamless implementation.

File image of NYS personnel. 

According to Omollo, the terms of reference of these technical committees include proposing amendments to key laws and policies governing the security sector.

These are the National Police Service (Amendment) Bill, the National Police Service Commission (Amendment) Bill, and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Amendment) Bill.

He pointed out that the National Correctional Services Policy and the Kenya Correctional Services Bill are currently open for public participation.

Further, Omollo said reform units have been established across the National Police Service, the Kenya Prisons Service, and the National Youth Service to coordinate the implementation of the reforms.

“A dedicated police reform unit is now operational within the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, hosted by the Directorate of Reforms at the NPS. Similarly, the KPS has set up a new directorate to oversee prison reforms, while the NYS has formed a reform committee for this purpose,” he added.