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

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