Prison staff pay plea to Maraga team

The basic salary and house allowance of Kenya Prisons Service (KPS) should be increased by 150 per cent and 200 per cent, respectively. This will ensure that the salary of the lowest paid officer, a constable, is raised from Sh20,740 to 51,850, and the house allowance from Sh9,500 to Sh28,500.

The Prisons Service, in its presentation to the Justice Maraga-led national task force on the improvement of terms and conditions of police and prison officers, also noted that the risk allowance had not been reviewed since its introduction in 2008.

Consequently, they recommended that it be increased by 150 per cent.

The KPS staff establishment comprises 31,333 uniformed personnel — 24,062 male and 7,271 female. They are supported by 613 non-uniformed officers, of whom 423 are male and 190 are female.

Prisons Service mandate

It has also been recommended that the mandate of the Prisons Service be revised to accommodate a multi-agency approach to national security. “The Commissioner General of Prisons (CGP) to be incorporated as a member in the National Security Advisory Committee,” the team stated.

The service has also proposed that the office of the CGP be made a constitutional one, with the security of tenure, and the holder to serve a five-year non-renewable term.

A special allowance should also be introduced to officers serving in maximum security prisons which hold high-risk offenders — at 25 per cent of their basic salary. Also, the CGP should be appointed as the KPS accounting officer for effective and efficient management of finances.

“There is a need to decentralise finance, procurement and account services to Magereza House to ensure effective service delivery and address operational challenges within the Service,” they recommended.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) should also delegate powers to the CGP to establish an internal KPS promotion board to assess staff from the rank of constable to assistant commissioner general of Prisons.

Yesterday, the task force started collecting views from the public and stakeholders. But the hearings were held in camera due to the sensitivity of the presentations.

The chairperson of the task force, Rtd Chief Justice David Maraga, said today’s session would also be held in camera.

“We will hear submissions from the National Prisons Service, Kenya Prisons Service and State agencies on Monday and Tuesday. Due to the sensitive nature of the presentations, the hearings will be on camera. Subsequent meetings across the country will be open,” he said.

He said the 20-member task force would divide itself into several teams and tour all 47 counties from February 6-17.

The task force was appointed by President William Ruto in a gazette notice dated December 21, 2022. The task force’s terms of reference are to review the human capital management and development policies of KPS, with a view of examining and reviewing standards and practices in recruitment, deployment, transfers, training, career progression, performance-based and competitive promotions, reward, exit, and post-exit management,” the notice said.

Operational constraints

Maraga said the task force would identify legal, policy, administrative, institutional and operational constraints on effective service delivery by KPS and Kenya Police Service. It would also review and recommend better terms of service.

He added that they would also review and recommend matters relating to the welfare of officers in all cadres, and all matters incidental to optimal service delivery.

Maraga called on organised groups, individuals and institutions to submit their proposals at the hearings. He assured those who will make presentations that their they would remain anonymous if they so wish.