Prison officers across the country have launched a go-slow to protest against what they term as poor pay and unmet promises by the government. This action began on Thursday, as officers expressed their frustration and disappointment over the delay in receiving a promised salary hike.
Earlier this year, President William Ruto pledged to increase the wages of security personnel, including prison officers, by at least Ksh. 2,000. This promise was highly anticipated by servicemen and women who expected the pay raise to be reflected in their July salaries.
In a previous statement, President Ruto had assured, “From this month on, we will be living up to our commitment to enhance the salary of our policemen and police officers in line with the commitment we made. This month, the prison men and women will have their first salary increment installment together with the other security agencies, as a commitment I made last year.”
Despite these assurances, prison officers have yet to see any changes in their pay stubs. The disappointment was palpable in a brief interview with Citizen Digital, where many officers voiced their grievances. “Hatujapata kitu, mara wanasema circular haijatoka. Shida inaweza kuwa ni nini? Walitangaza mbele ya hiyo kamati ya wakubwa walikuwa wamehudhuria hapo ikulu,” one officer lamented, highlighting the lack of clarity and action from the authorities.
Constables at the entry-level were particularly expectant of the Ksh. 2,000 wage increase, especially since their counterparts in the National Police Service (NPS) continued to receive their allowances without any disruptions. The absence of the promised salary increment has exacerbated the frustrations among the prison officers, leading to the current go-slow.
The officers have made it clear that they are prepared to escalate their protest by downing tools entirely if the government fails to fulfill its promise. This situation poses a significant challenge to the authorities, who must now address the grievances to avoid further disruptions in the prison services.