|
The National Assembly has passed the National Police Service Commission (Amendment) Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 23 of 2024).
The Bill sponsored by Hon. Peter Masara. The National Police Service Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2024, seeks to address the mental health and well-being of police officers in Kenya. It does this by amending the National Police Service Commission Act, 2011, to give the Commission specific new mandates.
The Bill defines “psychosocial support” as the attention given to a person’s mental state and “wellness” as the practice of healthy habits for better physical and mental health. This formalizes the concepts within the legal framework.
The National Police Service Commission (NPSC) in consultation with the Inspector-General is now mandated to establish “well equipped centres” in every county for police officers to receive psychosocial support.
The Bill makes it a formal function of the NPSC to provide mental health and wellness resources for police officers. It also requires the Commission to collaborate with the Ministry of Health to provide tailored mental health services.
The Bill gives the NPSC a more direct role in disciplinary matters by mandating it to monitor compliance with disciplinary procedures, review actions taken by the Inspector-General, and hear appeals on disciplinary matters.