The Senate has stepped in to resolve discrepancies in the compensation records of police officers injured while on duty, calling on three government agencies to align their data.
The Social Health Authority, National Police Service Commission and the Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services were told to reconcile their figures after reports showed major inconsistencies.
At a Thursday session of the Senate Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations, lawmakers expressed alarm over the conflicting numbers provided by the three bodies. They demanded that all parties meet, review their claims, and present a single, accurate report that reflects the actual payments and pending cases.
“As a committee, we are directing the Social Health Authority, National Police Service Commission and Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services to have an engagement and submit a list that is concurrent with regards to claims,” Samburu Senator Lelegwe Ltumbesi, who led the session, said.
The committee cautioned SHA against using the officer’s duty status as a reason to reject claims, reinforcing its previous ruling that officers are considered on duty at all times.
Lawmakers also warned against requiring injured officers to undergo a second medical assessment, underlining that DOSH is the only legally authorised body for such evaluations.
“The law does not allow parallel or duplicate assessments by other entities,” the committee said.
NPSC Chairperson Amani Yuda Komora and DOSH’s James Mithanga told Senators that SHA must follow the rules and respect contractual obligations. They blamed the discrepancies on SHA’s failure to adhere to procedures, which has created confusion over the actual status of claims.
SHA Chief Executive Officer Mercy Mwangangi presented a detailed report, stating that 1,567 claims totaling Sh1,269,723,694 had been settled, 432 were declined, 129 disputed, 95 pending due to incomplete documents, 155 in processing, and 41 under further review.
Despite these figures, DOSH said it had not received proof of payment, and NPSC’s numbers still did not match SHA’s, highlighting the lack of coordination.
Mwangangi assured the committee that SHA is committed to ensuring all eligible officers receive compensation and pledged closer cooperation with other agencies to resolve the ongoing gaps.
The move follows petitions by John Amana, Peter Wang’ombe, and Quinto Okumu, who appealed for Parliament’s help to ensure their long-delayed claims are addressed. The petitioners, present during the session, praised the committee for staying consistent and called on Senators to continue overseeing the process until justice is delivered to all affected officers.
The Committee will reconvene with SHA, NPSC, DOSH, and Jubilee Insurance to track progress and ensure the directives issued on Thursday are fully implemented.
