Influence of Employee Welfare Services on Performance of Police Officers in Kenya: A Case of National Police Service in Mombasa County Kenya

Abstract

The provision of employee welfare services in the police service is an important phenomenon that ensures proper management of crime and personal growth of police officers. Whenever employee welfare services are inadequate, it results to a negative influence on the police officers’ performance. In Africa, employee welfare service has become an important concern for police officers. In Nigeria, for example, there have been reported incidents of neglect of police officers’ welfare services. This neglect has been as a result of inadequately addressed welfare policy, improper budgeting, and corruption. This research focused on the main problem which influenced police performance as a result of the employees’ welfare services. Some of these welfare services include decent housing, and working conditions. The research had an objective of first finding out the influence of housing on police officers’ performance. Secondly, to determine the influence of housing on police officers’ performance. Thirdly, to figure out the extent to which field equipment influences the police officers’ performance in Mombasa County. This research was guided by Functional Theory of Labour Welfare, Theory of Expectancy and the Social Exchange Theory. The research adopted a descriptive case study using stratified and simple random sampling approaches. The target population was 1200 police officers with a sample population of 120 selected police officers in Mombasa County who were selected from their peers in order to get the exact and relevant information only. The study used questionnaires to collect data. In qualitative data, it also applied content analysis, while in quantitative data analysis descriptive statistics was utilized. The research used Pearson correlation to determine the connection between performance of employees and welfare services in inferential statistics. The research adhered to ethical consideration procedures as required by law. The research established that employee welfare services had an impact on the performance of police officers in Mombasa County especially in terms of medical insurance cover offered to police, housing and accommodation plan and field equipment. In conclusion the study strongly established that medical insurance cover and field equipment negatively affected the performance of police officers. The nature of hospitals accepted by the medical insurance cover are not outstanding and amount of medical cover allocated annually is inadequate. House allowance paid to police officers also significantly affected the performance of police officers. The research recommended the increase in the amount allocated as medical cover for the police officers so as to cater for officer’s families. It also recommended for special funds to cater for the officers with chronic diseases and those who get injured while in the line of duty. Government to come up with decent police officers housing scheme and increase house allowances to enable police officers to afford decent accommodation. The research further recommended for improved working equipment including sophisticated machine guns, forensic facilities and ICT equipment.