The government plans to spend about Sh2 billion on police recruitment and improving officers’ welfare, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said.
Speaking during an interview with several media outlets on Tuesday, Omollo said the money will help support the recruitment of new officers, salary increments, and the expansion of police housing projects across the country.
According to the PS, the government wants to strengthen the National Police Service by increasing the number of officers while also improving their working and living conditions.
“Cumulatively, we’re looking at a budget of around Sh2 billion,” Omollo said.
Part of the funds will go towards continued police recruitment as the government tries to reduce the gap between the number of police officers and the country’s growing population.
Omollo explained that Kenya is still below the internationally recommended police-to-population ratio of one officer for every 400 people.
“When we came in, the ratio was 1:500. So there’s been a need for us to bridge that gap,” he said.
He added that recruitment is also necessary because officers retire or leave the service over time.
The PS at the same time dismissed claims that the ongoing recruitment exercise is linked to preparations for the 2027 General Election.
“This is not about next year’s elections, it’s about service to mwananchi,” Omollo said.
Last year, the government managed to recruit 10,000 police officers after three years of no recruitment due to financial limitations.
Regarding their salaries, Omollo pointed out that the first and second phases of the salary increment for the police were already funded by Parliament, while the last phase will be incorporated in the budget estimates of 2026/2027.
Housing is another area that the government is trying to improve. Over the years, many police officers have been complaining about the poor state of their housing in police lines and camps.
According to Omollo, 5,000 houses have been built for the police officers, while 23,000 more are set to be constructed across the country.
Improvement in housing, salaries, and recruitment of more police officers are meant to improve the morale of the officers and service delivery.
