Traffic police officers at the Kenya Police Traffic Department provide oversight in matters relative to the safe use of roads; their functions and duties include ensuring the free flow of traffic on Kenyan roads, prevention of road accidents, investigation of accidents, enforcement of all laws, rules, and regulations with which the department is charged, and initiating road safety sensitization to the members of the public.
The Kenya Police Traffic Department is one of the special wings of the Kenya Police Service formed in accordance with Section 24 of the National Police Service Act, 2011, which outlines its functions.
The top priorities at the Kenya Police Traffic Department are to keep the traveling public and general transportation facilities safe and secure and increase mobility by setting safety regulations governing them.
How to become a traffic cop in Kenya
Because the Kenya Police Traffic Department is under the Kenya Police Service of the National Police Service (NPS), traffic cops are recruited first and trained as normal police officers before undergoing further specialized training to become traffic personnel.
So, if you want to be a traffic police in Kenya, you must attend the yearly police recruitment, where you will be shortlisted and sent to train at any of the Kenya Police Colleges in the country if you meet the requirements.
After completing your training, you can apply to join the Kenya Police Traffic Department. If successful, you will be re-admitted to the police college for deep skilling to have the highest possible standards of competence to serve as a traffic police officer.
In the recent past, general duty police officers were allowed to join trained traffic personnel and assist in carrying out their day-to-day duties, but Deputy Inspector General Douglas Kanji said, “You are directed to deploy back to general duty all those officers who had been attached to traffic duties. Ensure that they are deployed back to police station general duties” in an order sent to all police heads in the country to imply that you must be trained as a traffic cop to serve as one onward.
How much do traffic officers make in Kenya?
The average traffic police officer salary in Kenya is Ksh17,190 per month as of 2024, but their salary range typically falls between Ksh17,000 to Ksh180,000 monthly depending on the rank to which one belongs, police officer job group, and the job grade.
However, the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) is considering raising the salaries of the lowest-paid traffic cops to about Ksh18,760 per month before the year ends.
READ: Recruitment for the Kenya Police in 2024
