Frustration sets in, security personnel ready to walk out

By HELEN TARAWA
FRUSTRATED elections security personnel in Northern are continuing to work but are on the verge of walking off because their allowances are yet to be paid.
Provincial police commander Chief Inspector Lincoln Gerari told The National that many of them had been working without allowances since the polling period.
“It’s very frustrating because I have to borrow food from the shops to feed them since they have not received their allowances,” Gerari said.
“They have threatened to withdraw their services but I have urged them to hold on while giving time for the police headquarters to respond to their calls for the allowances.”
Gerari said there were about 200 police members in the security force there.
About 50 out of the 200 were from the NCD operations who were deployed to Northern, he said.
The security personnel are paid K200 per day.
Gerari said they had more than K10,000 worth of debts in shops and they were still waiting for funds from the police headquarters to offset the bill.
“It was on a good understanding that these business houses assisted us with food  so we  can feed the security personnel mainly from the NCD operations,” he said.
“After polling, about 30 of the officers left and there are about 20 remaining and we have to feed them.
“This is quite serious and we are calling on the police hierarchy to address this issue immediately,” Gerari said.