This archive report was first published on 24 August 2020.
Kenya Prisons Service Commissioner General Wycliffe Ogallo has moved to calm disquiet over promotions, urging officers to raise their grievances directly to him.
According to a memo sent to all regional commissioners of prisons, officers in charge, and the Prison College in Ruiru, Ogallo asked aggrieved officers to channel their issues to him via SMS.
The memo, sent last Thursday, August 20, 2020, comes after the Prisons Service announced interviews and promotions of 790 wardens to non-commissioned officers two weeks ago.
These promotions are for the ranks of corporal, sergeant, and senior sergeants, and were open to graduate wardens who have served less than 20 years.
However, graduate warders have expressed concerns that they are being bypassed during promotions in favour of less experienced and less educated officers.
Initially, the guidelines issued by the service limited constables with degrees to applying for promotion as corporals, causing uproar among the officers.
But a day later, the prison issued another circular allowing university degree holders to apply for any rank they felt qualified for.
