The National Police Service (NPS) is currently facing a series of resignations. According to a report that appeared in Radio Africa’s The Star newspaper, up to 40 high ranking officers have resigned over the past three weeks.
This comes as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) recently moved to explain the resignation of seven of its senior officers after the assumption of office of the new administration. Prior to the DCI’s statement, there had been reports that the officers had been asked to resign within a 24-hour notice.
“The officers reported to have resigned were not forced to leave the service as alleged,” the DCI said. The DCI said that the officers who were stationed at different specialized units within the Directorate left to pursue careers in the private sector as financial investigators, fraud experts, IT specialists among others.
According to the report in the newspaper, police headquarter has admitted that it is facing challenges in processing requests for resignations on the 24-hour notice rule.
“Deputy Inspector General of police Edward Mbugua said in an internal memo on September 9 that any resignations must be accompanied by a self-explanatory letter,” the report said.
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“The resignation letter should also be accompanied by a copy of the latest pay slip, a letter from the Kenya Police Sacco, Harambee Sacco or bank explaining how one will settle any loan taken and a forwarding letter from the respective command.”
The report added that the National Police Service is concerned that it is losing many of its officers through brain drain resignations, where officers are quitting to pursue greener pastures outside the service.
“To guard against the brain drain, the National Police Service Commission in 2016 directed that new officers be bonded for 10 years, meaning they cannot leave the profession before the lapse of the period,” the report said.
“Recruits who may want to join the NPS and then resign before serving for ten years are to be forced to pay the government Sh. 1.2 million.”
