Chiefs based in security operation areas have called on the government to intervene and help them get an extension of service as enshrined in the law due to the nature of the challenges they face in the line of duty.
Those who have spoken to us on condition of anonymity for fear of being victimized, especially those based in Pokot, Turkana and other parts of the volatile North Rift as well as those from Mandera, Wajir, Garissa and who have been injured in the line of duty say that they are being frustrated when their cases are forwarded to the Office of the President (OP) which directly handles their matters.
According to the law, chiefs in security operation areas and who are likely to be injured either by bandits, terrorists, landmines, or Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) are entitled to 5 more years in service due to disabilities acquired.
However, those who have recently forwarded their cases to the Office of the President for such consideration have been met with shock after their cases were referred to the Public Service Commission (PSC), in a scheme meant to ensure their cases stall and are not unaddressed.
“We don’t know why we are being treated this way, yet this provision is clearly outlined in the law. Some of us have suffered grievous body injuries in the line of duty and are seeking an extension of service by 5 years as is clearly provided for,” said a chief from Wajir County.
It should be remembered that these chiefs based in the security volatile regions play a key role in gathering intelligence and coordinating with other security agencies to prevent and quell incidences of insecurity.
Due to the nature of their work in these highly insecure regions, the officers are exposed to dangers that result to them being maimed or even losing their lives.
The chiefs have called on the relevant authorities to intervene and ensure that their cases do not stall at the OP where some unscrupulous government bureaucrats are allegedly frustrating them.
“We are committed to serve the Kenyan people even in the most hardship and insecure places, but the government should also be mindful of our welfare. An extension of 5 years in service is not too much to ask for a person injured while discharging their duties. It should not be a case of being shuffled from office to office,” stated the chief.
Bandits, terrorists, and other criminal elements routinely target the chiefs and their assistants because they are the link between the communities and the government.
Often, the criminals would target the chiefs for elimination with a view to cutting the channel of communication and frustrating intelligence gathering.
It is for this reason that Kenyans are also calling on the government to compensate these civil servants who do most of the donkey work in Operation Areas.
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