Economy

Police count hits 39,215 on officers resignations, retirements

POLICE

A past Kenya Police pass out parade. Out of the 39,215 police workforce, 34,129 are men and 5,086 women. PHOTO | FILE

The number of Kenyan police officers has dropped to an eight-year low due to resignations and retirements, further widening the ratio of security officers to civilians amid growing insecurity.

Official data shows that the number of officers dropped to 39,215 last year compared to 42,145 in 2013 and 42,586 in 2012.

This is the lowest count since 2006 when it stood at 39, 072 despite the force recruiting offers nearly annually.

Kenya’s police to civilians’ ratio last year stood at about 1:1,096, lagging behind the United Nation’s recommendation of one officer per 400 citizens which is considered critical for effective policing.

The shrinking number comes against the backdrop of persistent deadly terrorist attacks that have claimed more than 400 lives since Mr Uhuru Kenyatta took over the presidency two years ago.

“This was mainly due to natural attrition and the suspension of police recruitment during the year (2014),” says the Economic Survey.

Last year, the National Assembly directed the National Police Service Commission to suspend the recruitment of 10,000 new police after allegations of bribery, nepotism and favouritism emerged.

The High Court in October quashed the hiring of the recruits citing corruption, irregularities and violation of the Constitution, effectively freezing replacement of the exiting officers.

READ: High Court nullifies countrywide police recruitment

But last month the police employer conducted a fresh recruitment drive that saw 10,000 recruits start a nine-month training at Kiganjo, Nyeri last week.

Out of the 39,215 police workforce, 34,129 are men and 5,086 women.

Al-Shabaab’s string of gun and bomb attacks weighed heavily on the economy—which last year saw the tourism industry’s earnings drop 7.3 per cent to Sh87.1 billion on reduced travel after western governments issued travel alerts.