Police Transfers and Job Satisfaction: Case of Nairobi City County, Kenya

Stacy Wangari Ndung’u ,B C Muoka

doi:10.7176/ppar/11-5-07

Abstract

Available literature on police transfers and job satisfaction indicate that little is known on whether police transfers affect their job satisfaction. The general objective of the study was to examine the effect of Police Transfers on job satisfaction in the NPS, Kenya. The specific objective was to analyze the influence of criteria used in police transfers on job satisfaction in the National Police Service (NPS). The study was informed by the work adjustment theory. Ex post facto research design was used in this study and the study area was the Nairobi city county. Target population was 8,508 police officers who were working in Nairobi City County by December 2020 of the ranks of senior superintendent, superintendent, assistant superintendent, chief inspector, inspector, senior sergeant, sergeant, corporal and constable. A sample of 382 officers from six sub counties was picked using simple random sampling. Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect the data. Research instruments were pretested in Kiambu county. Questionnaire were administered to respondents in five sub counties of Kasarani, Starehe, Kamukunji, Westlands and Embakasi who were required to respond to the questions in the provided spaces. Interviews were conducted with three senior officers working in the directorates of personnel. Quantitative data was analysed by first finding the percentages for the officers who are very satisfied, satisfied, neutral, dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their work. Qualitative data was analysed by grouping it into themes, finding patterns and common characteristic and drawing of insights from the observations. Results have been presented in form of tables, graphs and text. It was found that there was no relationship between police transfers and job satisfaction and that transfer criteria does not influence job satisfaction in the police service. Based on the study findings where no relationship between transfers and job satisfaction was found, it is recommended that similar research be conducted to find out if the county(area) of current deployment and nature of duties in the current deployment has any significant effect on the job satisfaction among police officers in the NPS. Keywords: Police Transfers, Criteria, Job Satisfaction, National Police Service, Kenya. DOI: 10.7176/PPAR/11-5-07 Publication date: June 30 th 2021

Highlights

Background to the Study Kenya NationalPolice Service Commission (2015), defines transfer as the movement of a police officer from the present working station to a new one and issues concerning the officer including his/her moving of pay point
The results show that police service is a male dominated field
The rank with the highest number of respondents was (A)PC at 58% followed by CPL at 19%

Summary

Introduction

Background to the Study Kenya NationalPolice Service Commission (2015), defines transfer as the movement of a police officer from the present working station to a new one and issues concerning the officer including his/her moving of pay point. Transfers are expected to meet organizational requirements (in technology, volume of production, product line, organization structure), to satisfy various needs of employees (such as to work under friendly superior, to shift to native place, for health reasons, to take up challenging opportunities), to provide multi-skill to the employee, to make suitable adjustment in work force and to punish employees for misconduct (Dep, 2006). Where there is deficit of technical knowhow in one department or area, employees with such skills can be transferred to the department with deficit from another department where such skills are in surplus which in turn impacts positively to production, product line and organization structure. At the same time transfers can be used to meet the convenience of employees by posting them in friendly environments if it does not adversely affect their production or the organization in general

Methods

Results

Conclusion