Effects of Occupational Hazards on Performance of Police Officers in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

Abstract

According to a report released by the Kenyan National Human Rights Commission, there has been an increase in crime incidents that are related to occupational stress from low morale of police officers which influences performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of occupational hazards on the performance of police officers in Uasin Gishu County Kenya. The study area was within the jurisdictions of County Police Headquarters and police stations in Uasin Gishu County. The study was guided by the following specific objective; to determine the effect of occupational hazards on the performance of police officers in Uasin Gishu County Kenya. The study was anchored on the Social Exchange Theory by George Homans and Psychoanalytic Theory by Sigmund Freud. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The target population was 2,225 respondents. A total of 327 people were needed to reach the target sample size. The study employed purposeful, stratified, and basic random sampling approaches. Primary data was collected from respondents in the study utilizing questionnaires and interview guides, as well as other data gathering methods. Reports and publications were used to gather secondary data. The study findings revealed that there was a significant but negative relationship between occupational hazards and performance of police officers in Uasin Gishu County Kenya (p=0.000). The study concluded that working on shift and working overtime influences police officers’ job performance. Based on the findings and concussions of the study, it was suggested that the National Police Service develop ways to reduce the sources of occupational stress and espouse a safe working environment and police officers' motivation.

Key Words: Occupational Hazards, Performance, Police Officer

DOI: 10.7176/PPAR/12-6-09

Publication date:August 31^st 2022