PSSF trains 10,000 police recruits on pension benefits ahead of deployment

COLLINS NYAMU-PCO

The Public Service Superannuation Fund (PSSF) has partnered with the National Police Service (NPS) to train 10,000 newly recruited police officers on their pension benefits ahead of their passing-out parade and deployment across the country.

National Police College Commandant Nyale Munga said the training will equip the recruits at the beginning of their careers with knowledge of retirement preparedness.

The National Police Service forms the largest sector of the 120,084 disciplined service personnel who are members of the pension scheme. The education sessions were organised across the four National Police College campuses, Kiganjo, Embakasi ‘A’, Embakasi ‘B’ and Magadi.

“For the 10,000 recruits preparing to join police stations across the country, the training was about far more than pension deductions," he said.

According to the Retirement Benefits Authority’s Statistical Digest for March 2026, only 7.71 million Kenyans are registered in pension schemes, representing 26.58 per cent of the population, while just 13.85 per cent are active contributors.

The figures underscore the importance of introducing retirement planning to young workers as they enter formal employment.

Munga noted that the education programme also reflects the growing importance of the Public Service Superannuation Fund within Kenya’s pension sector.

“Since becoming operational in 2021, the Fund has grown to more than 517,000 members with assets valued at over Sh 322 billion, making it the country’s biggest occupational pension scheme.

"Teachers account for the largest share of membership, while disciplined services, including the National Police Service, Kenya Prisons Service and National Youth Service, constitute more than 120,000 members, making them one of the Fund’s largest constituencies,” he said.

PSSF officials noted that for decades, public servants relied on a Defined Benefit pension scheme under which retirement benefits were paid directly from government budgets.

“As pension obligations continued to rise, the arrangement became increasingly difficult to sustain, prompting the Government to initiate public sector pension reforms in 2010 before establishing the Public Service Superannuation Scheme under the Public Service Superannuation Scheme Act, Cap. 189A.

"The law created a Defined Contribution scheme under which every member builds an individual retirement account throughout their career,” said PSSF Assistant Marketing Manager Grace Ndolo.

The PSSS Act provides that every police officer contributes 7.5 per cent of their monthly basic salary to the scheme, while the Government contributes an additional 15 per cent as the employer.

To demonstrate the value of long-term saving, PSSF officers took recruits through practical retirement projections showing how savings made early in one’s career significantly influence retirement income.

A police officer joining the service at the age of 25 and planning to retire at 50 would need to save approximately KSh18,450 every month to sustain a retirement income of KSh40,000 per month.

An officer retiring at the mandatory retirement age of 60 would require monthly savings of about KSh8,050 to achieve the same level of income.

The simulations encouraged recruits to take advantage of Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs), which allow members to supplement the statutory deductions and build larger retirement savings while benefiting from compound investment returns.

The programme also focused on the scheme’s digital transformation.

“Through the recently launched Member Self-Service Portal, officers can enrol online, monitor monthly contributions, access annual benefit statements, update beneficiary nominations and amend personal records without travelling to PSSF offices,” Ndolo said.

She added that police officers who are frequently transferred or deployed to different parts of the country, the platform is expected to simplify access to pension services and reduce administrative delays, noting the need to regularly update beneficiary records.