Junior police officers in Nairobi now live in squalor following the implementation of the presidential police housing directive.
Most junior police officers moved from government houses mainly located in stations, camps and lines. The decision was meant to integrate them with other Kenyans. Some officers, mainly those in Nairobi, expressed their discontent with the directive even before it was implemented.
The Star can now reveal that some of the officers live in pathetic conditions, either alone or with their families, in some of the slums. They confided that they had to go to the slums as they could not afford better houses because of low income and low house allowances.
“We are not living in this pathetic condition because we like it, my brother, life has pushed us into it,” said a 33-year-old constable, who lives alone in a single-room house in Kariobangi.
The house costs him Sh2,500 in rent. Another officer living in Kariakor said she opted for the low-end houses because she has many responsibilities and cannot cater to all of them because of meagre earnings. She pays Sh4,000 for the house.
The houses lack basic amenities such as water, electricity and road access. Some officers still live in government houses within their police stations and pay rent. They said the situation in the slums is distressing, especially given the high crime rates, but they have to live within their means.
“It is a challenge to operate from this house. I always feel unsafe, especially after work given that we don’t get home with firearms,” another officer said.
They said they earn Sh7,000 monthly house allowance, while a ‘reasonable’ one-bedroom house goes for Sh15,000 on most estates. The government had initially planned to pay constables working in Nairobi Sh18,124 for monthly house rent and those in Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Meru, Uasin Gishu Sh13,124. Those in other counties were to receive Sh8,124.
The officers lamented that the housing allowance is too little to enable them to get better houses. They said deductions such as tax and other utility expenses such as water and electricity were factored in.
They said some of their colleagues moved to neighbouring counties to avoid the slum life. “Houses are more affordable in parts of Machakos county than in Nairobi,” another officer said.
They want the National Police Service Commission to review their salaries and increase house allowances.