EFFECT OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES ON THE OCCUPATIONAL, SAFETY AND HEALTH OF POLICE OFFICERS IN NAIROBI CITY COUNTY, KENYA
Abstract
Purpose of the Study: This study aimed at establishing how the available resources to the Police Officers in Nairobi City County, Kenya affect their occupational, safety and health.
Problem Statement: The study will show how occupational safety and health of Police Officers is a problem. It is argued that the nature of work performed by Police Officers is by nature expected to experience distress. They posit that this is enhanced by their administrative policies, failure to get support from their colleagues and even perception people have on them. They add that they feel hopeless. The occupational safety and health of Police Officers is worsened by emerging issues like terror. It was most recently, 15th January 2019 that there was a terror attack on Dusit Hotel in Kenya.
Research Methodology: This study employed both social descriptive survey design and explanatory research design. In addition, the study adopted positivism philosophy. The data for this study was obtained from Police Officers which formed the main study population. The study settled on Nairobi City County where all the police stations were covered. The target population comprised of 4,000 from which a sample size of 200 police officers was selected. First a 10 percent of all 33 police stations in Nairobi and the police officers there in were initially used for piloting. A sample of 5 percent of Police Officers and a commanding officer in each of the remaining polis stations were studied. Structured questionnaire was made use of to collect data from the respondents. The study was carried out on police officers who were on duty but after permission had been sought from relevant authorities. It was based on a simple random sampling research method where each officer had a chance of being chosen. Every officer commanding a police station was chosen. Each respondent was briefed on the importance of the study, it was made known to the respondents that the study would be done freely with their willingness at a convenient location, the questionnaires were to be collected and kept with confidence. Each respondent was requested to confirm in writing, affirmative action or signing a document without indicating a name that the study was done with their approval. The study used Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient to test for the reliability of instruments. SPSS was used to analyze the collected data; both descriptive and inferential statistics were used in data analysis. The results obtained from the analysis were then represented using figures, tables and charts. Through factor analysis, all the statements of the variable under study were retained because they recorded values above 0.5.
Results of the Study: It was found out that 36.4% of the police officers had worked in the national police Service for between 6 and 10 years and majority of them (82.1%) were married. The regression analysis results revealed a positive and significant relationship between available resources and the occupational, safety and health of police officers in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The study established that 84.5% of the leaders of police officers were visionary, 60.2% valued the constitution and saw it as a protector and supporter of their occupational safety and health. Based on the findings, 85.5% and 61.6% saw Kenya Human Rights and OSHA respectively as valuable Acts.
Conclusion: The study concluded that most of the police officers in Kenya are satisfied with the resources which has been availed to them by the government to perform their duties.
Recommendation: The study recommended that the police should be provided with the necessary machinery they require to carry out their day to day activities of providing security, and maintaining law and order to the citizens of Kenya. The police should be provided with communication equipment like walk talkie, ICT/phones since they have been found to make the Police Officers feel safe as they do their work.
Key Words: Available Resources, Occupational, Safety, Health, Police
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