UNITED STATES
               SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                     Washington, D.C. 20549
                                
                            FORM S-8
                                
                     REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                             Under
                   The Securities Act of 1933
                                
                    WESTERN RESOURCES, INC.
     (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
                
                        Kansas                     48-0290150        
             (State or other jurisdiction of  (I.R.S. Employer
             incorporation or organization)    Identification No.)

     818 Kansas Avenue, Topeka, Kansas               66612             
     (Address of principal executive offices)          (Zip Code)

   WESTAR SECURITY SERVICES, INC. 401(K) PROFIT SHARING PLAN 
                    (Full title of the plan)
                                
     Richard D. Terrill                 S. L. Kitchen
     Corporate Secretary and                 Executive Vice President,
     Associate General Counsel               and Chief Financial Officer
     818 Kansas Avenue                       818 Kansas Avenue
     Topeka, Kansas 66612                    Topeka, Kansas 66612
     (913) 575-6322                     (913) 575-6369
     ------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Names, addresses and telephone numbers, including area code, of
                      agents for service)
                                
                CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

                                              Proposed           
                                Proposed      Maximum                        
Title of           Amounts      Maximum       Aggregate   Amount of
Securities          to be     Offering Price  Offering   Registration
to be Registered  Registered  Per Share (2)   Price (2)      Fee
                                
Participations                                
in the Plan           (1)
                               
Common Stock,
$5.00 Par Value      5000        $29.38       $146,900     $100.00
                                
(1) In addition, pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act of 1933,
this registration statement also covers an indeterminate amount of interests
to be offered or sold pursuant to the employee benefit plan(s) described
herein.

(2) Estimated solely for purpose of calculating the registration fee based
upon the average of the high and low prices for the issuer's common stock
reported on the New York Stock Exchange Composite Transactions on June 25,
1996 of $29.38 per share.


                            PART II
                  INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE
                     REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                
Item 3.  Incorporation of  Documents by Reference.

     Western Resources, Inc. (the "Company") and the Westar Security
Services, Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan ("Plan") hereby incorporate by
reference the following documents previously filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission:

     (a)  The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 1995;

     (b)  The Company's Quarterly Report filed on Form 10-Q for the period
ending March 31, 1996; 

     (c)  The Company's Current Reports on Form 8-K dated April 14, 1996,
April 22, 1996, April 25, 1996, April 26, 1996, April 29, 1996, May 3, 1996,
May 6, 1996, May 10, 1996, May 24, 1996, and June 17, 1996;

     (d)  The description of the Company's Common Stock contained in the
Company's Registration Statement on Form 10, filed May 5, 1949, as updated by
the description contained in Item 7 of the Company's Form 10-Q filed for the
quarter ended March 31, 1979;

     (e)  The Plan's Report on Form 11-K for the period February 1, 1996
through March 31, 1996.

     (f)  All other reports filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the
Exchange Act since the end of the fiscal year covered by the Company's annual
report referenced in (a) above.

All documents subsequently filed by the Company or the Plan pursuant to
Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, and 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the filing
of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered
hereunder have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining
unsold, shall be deemed to have been incorporated herein by reference, and to
be a part hereof from the date of filing such documents. 

Item 4.  Description of Securities.

          Not applicable.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

          Not applicable.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

     Article XVIII of the Company's Restated Articles of Incorporation, as
amended, provides that a director of the Company shall not be personally
liable to the Company or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of
fiduciary duty as a director except for liability (i) for any breach of the
director's duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for
acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or
a knowing violation of law, (iii) for paying a dividend or approving a stock
repurchase in violation of the Kansas General Corporation Code, or (iv) for
any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. 
This provision is specifically authorized by Section 17-6002(b)(8) of the
Kansas General Corporation Code.

     Section 17-6305 of the Kansas General Corporation Code (the
"Indemnification Statute") provides for indemnification by a corporation of
its corporate officers, directors, employees and agents.  The Indemnification
Statute provides that a corporation may indemnify such persons who have been,
are, or may become a party to an action, suit or proceeding due to his or her
status as a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation.  Further,
the Indemnification Statute grants authority to a corporation to implement its
own broader indemnification policy.  Article XVIII of the Company's Restated
Articles of Incorporation, as amended, requires the Company to indemnify its
directors and officers to the fullest extent provided by Kansas law.  Further,
as is provided for in Article XVIII, the Company has entered into
indemnification agreements with its directors, which provide for
indemnification which is  broader than that available under Article XVIII and
the Indemnification Statute.

Item 7.  Exemption From Registration Claimed.

          Not applicable.

Item 8.  Exhibits.

     The following exhibits are filed herewith, or incorporated herein by
reference:

     EXHIBIT NO.         EXHIBIT

          23        Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP, filed herewith.

     The registrant has submitted the Plan and will submit any amendments
thereto to the Internal Revenue Service in a timely manner and will make all
changes required by the IRS to maintain the Plan's qualification.

Item 9.  Undertakings.

     The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

     (1)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales of the
securities registered hereby are being made, a post-effective amendment to
this registration statement;

          (i)  To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3)
               of the Securities Act of 1933;

          (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
               arising after the effective date of this registration
               statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment
               thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate,
               represent a fundamental change in the information set
               forth in this registration statement;

          (iii)     To include any material information with respect to
                    the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in
                    this registration statement or any material change to
                    such information in this registration statement;

provided, however, that the undertakings set forth in paragraphs (i) and (ii)
above do not apply if the information required to be included in a
post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports
filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to
Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act  of 1934 that are
incorporated by reference in this registration statement.

     (2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to
be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein,
and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the
initial bona fide offering thereof.

     (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination
of the offering.

     (4)  That, for purposes of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant
to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and where
applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant
to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated
by reference in this registration statement shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered herein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial
bona fide offering thereof.

     Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of
the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the
Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless
in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, submit to the court of appropriate jurisdiction the question
whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in
the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.<PAGE>
                           SIGNATURES
                                
     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, Western
Resources, Inc., the Registrant, certifies that it has reasonable grounds to
believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has
duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunder duly authorized, in the City of Topeka, State of
Kansas on the 26th day of June, 1996.

                                   WESTERN RESOURCES, INC.
                                   (Registrant)

                                   By:/s/ JOHN E. HAYES, JR.      
                                       John E. Hayes, Jr.
                                       Chairman of the Board and
                                       Chief Executive Officer

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.


Signature                      Title                              Date
                                                                
/s/ JOHN E. HAYES, JR.
    John E. Hayes, Jr.  Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive
                        Officer (Principal Executive Officer)   June 26, 1996
                                                                
/s/ STEVEN L. KITCHEN
    Steven L. Kitchen   Executive Vice President and Chief
                        Financial Officer (Principal Financial and
                        Accounting Officer)                     June 26, 1996
                                
/s/ FRANK J. BECKER
    Frank J. Becker          Director                           June 26, 1996
                                
/s/ GENE A. BUDIG
    Gene A. Budig            Director                           June 26, 1996
                                                               
/s/ C.Q. CHANDLER
    C.Q. Chandler            Director                           June 26, 1996
                                                                
/s/ THOMAS R. CLEVENGER
    Thomas R. Clevenger      Director                           June 26, 1996
                                
/s/ JOHN C. DICUS
    John C. Dicus            Director                           June 26, 1996
                                                                
/s/ DAVID H. HUGHES
    David H. Hughes          Director                           June 26, 1996
                                
/s/ RUSSELL W. MEYER, JR.
    Russell W. Meyer, Jr.    Director                           June 26, 1996
                                                                
/s/ JOHN H. ROBINSON
    John H. Robinson         Director                           June 26, 1996
                                
/s/ LOUIS W. SMITH
    Louis W. Smith           Director                           June 26, 1996
                                
/s/ SUSAN M. STANTON
    Susan M. Stanton         Director                           June 26, 1996
                                
/s/ KENNETH J. WAGNON
    Kenneth J. Wagnon        Director                           June 26, 1996
                                
/s/ DAVID C. WITTIG
    David C. Wittig          Director                           June 26, 1996
                                
                                
                                
      The Plan.  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933,
the administrative committee of the Plan has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on the Plan's behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly
authorized, in the city of Topeka, and State of Kansas, on the 26th day of
June, 1996.
                                
                                   WESTAR SECURITY SERVICES, INC.
                                   401(k) PROFIT SHARING PLAN
                                
                                
                                
                                   By /s/ IRA W. MCKEE, JR.             
                                   Ira W. McKee, Jr.
                                   Member of the Administrative
                                   Committee


                          EXHIBIT LIST


     EXHIBIT NO.         EXHIBIT

        23               Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP, filed herewith.
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "WESTAR SECURITY SERVICES, INC. 401(K) PLAN", "secsgml_size_bytes": 15174}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "WESTERN RESOURCES INC /KS", "cik": "0000054507", "assigned-sic": "4931", "irs-number": "480290150", "state-of-incorporation": "KS", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-06887", "film-number": "96586196"}, "business-address": {"street1": "818 KANSAS AVE", "city": "TOPEKA", "state": "KS", "zip": "66612", "phone": "9135756300"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "KANSAS POWER & LIGHT CO", "date-changed": "19920507"}}
UNITED STATES
               SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                     Washington, D.C. 20549
                                
                            FORM S-8
                                
                     REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                             Under
                   The Securities Act of 1933
                                
                    WESTERN RESOURCES, INC.
     (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
                
                        Kansas                     48-0290150        
             (State or other jurisdiction of  (I.R.S. Employer
             incorporation or organization)    Identification No.)

     818 Kansas Avenue, Topeka, Kansas               66612             
     (Address of principal executive offices)          (Zip Code)

   WESTAR SECURITY SERVICES, INC. 401(K) PROFIT SHARING PLAN 
                    (Full title of the plan)
                                
     Richard D. Terrill                 S. L. Kitchen
     Corporate Secretary and                 Executive Vice President,
     Associate General Counsel               and Chief Financial Officer
     818 Kansas Avenue                       818 Kansas Avenue
     Topeka, Kansas 66612                    Topeka, Kansas 66612
     (913) 575-6322                     (913) 575-6369
     ------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Names, addresses and telephone numbers, including area code, of
                      agents for service)
                                
                CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

                                              Proposed           
                                Proposed      Maximum                        
Title of           Amounts      Maximum       Aggregate   Amount of
Securities          to be     Offering Price  Offering   Registration
to be Registered  Registered  Per Share (2)   Price (2)      Fee
                                
Participations                                
in the Plan           (1)
                               
Common Stock,
$5.00 Par Value      5000        $29.38       $146,900     $100.00
                                
(1) In addition, pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act of 1933,
this registration statement also covers an indeterminate amount of interests
to be offered or sold pursuant to the employee benefit plan(s) described
herein.

(2) Estimated solely for purpose of calculating the registration fee based
upon the average of the high and low prices for the issuer's common stock
reported on the New York Stock Exchange Composite Transactions on June 25,
1996 of $29.38 per share.

                            PART II
                  INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE
                     REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                
Item 3.  Incorporation of  Documents by Reference.

     Western Resources, Inc. (the "Company") and the Westar Security
Services, Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan ("Plan") hereby incorporate by
reference the following documents previously filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission:

     (a)  The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 1995;

     (b)  The Company's Quarterly Report filed on Form 10-Q for the period
ending March 31, 1996; 

     (c)  The Company's Current Reports on Form 8-K dated April 14, 1996,
April 22, 1996, April 25, 1996, April 26, 1996, April 29, 1996, May 3, 1996,
May 6, 1996, May 10, 1996, May 24, 1996, and June 17, 1996;

     (d)  The description of the Company's Common Stock contained in the
Company's Registration Statement on Form 10, filed May 5, 1949, as updated by
the description contained in Item 7 of the Company's Form 10-Q filed for the
quarter ended March 31, 1979;

     (e)  The Plan's Report on Form 11-K for the period February 1, 1996
through March 31, 1996.

     (f)  All other reports filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the
Exchange Act since the end of the fiscal year covered by the Company's annual
report referenced in (a) above.

All documents subsequently filed by the Company or the Plan pursuant to
Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, and 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the filing
of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered
hereunder have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining
unsold, shall be deemed to have been incorporated herein by reference, and to
be a part hereof from the date of filing such documents. 

Item 4.  Description of Securities.

          Not applicable.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

          Not applicable.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

     Article XVIII of the Company's Restated Articles of Incorporation, as
amended, provides that a director of the Company shall not be personally
liable to the Company or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of
fiduciary duty as a director except for liability (i) for any breach of the
director's duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for
acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or
a knowing violation of law, (iii) for paying a dividend or approving a stock
repurchase in violation of the Kansas General Corporation Code, or (iv) for
any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. 
This provision is specifically authorized by Section 17-6002(b)(8) of the
Kansas General Corporation Code.

     Section 17-6305 of the Kansas General Corporation Code (the
"Indemnification Statute") provides for indemnification by a corporation of
its corporate officers, directors, employees and agents.  The Indemnification
Statute provides that a corporation may indemnify such persons who have been,
are, or may become a party to an action, suit or proceeding due to his or her
status as a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation.  Further,
the Indemnification Statute grants authority to a corporation to implement its
own broader indemnification policy.  Article XVIII of the Company's Restated
Articles of Incorporation, as amended, requires the Company to indemnify its
directors and officers to the fullest extent provided by Kansas law.  Further,
as is provided for in Article XVIII, the Company has entered into
indemnification agreements with its directors, which provide for
indemnification which is  broader than that available under Article XVIII and
the Indemnification Statute.

Item 7.  Exemption From Registration Claimed.

          Not applicable.

Item 8.  Exhibits.

     The following exhibits are filed herewith, or incorporated herein by
reference:

     EXHIBIT NO.         EXHIBIT

          23        Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP, filed herewith.

     The registrant has submitted the Plan and will submit any amendments
thereto to the Internal Revenue Service in a timely manner and will make all
changes required by the IRS to maintain the Plan's qualification.

Item 9.  Undertakings.

     The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

     (1)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales of the
securities registered hereby are being made, a post-effective amendment to
this registration statement;

          (i)  To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3)
               of the Securities Act of 1933;

          (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
               arising after the effective date of this registration
               statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment
               thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate,
               represent a fundamental change in the information set
               forth in this registration statement;

          (iii)     To include any material information with respect to
                    the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in
                    this registration statement or any material change to
                    such information in this registration statement;

provided, however, that the undertakings set forth in paragraphs (i) and (ii)
above do not apply if the information required to be included in a
post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports
filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to
Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act  of 1934 that are
incorporated by reference in this registration statement.

     (2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to
be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein,
and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the
initial bona fide offering thereof.

     (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination
of the offering.

     (4)  That, for purposes of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant
to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and where
applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant
to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated
by reference in this registration statement shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered herein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial
bona fide offering thereof.

     Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of
the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the
Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless
in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, submit to the court of appropriate jurisdiction the question
whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in
the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
SIGNATURES
                                
     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, Western
Resources, Inc., the Registrant, certifies that it has reasonable grounds to
believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has
duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunder duly authorized, in the City of Topeka, State of
Kansas on the 26th day of June, 1996.

                                   WESTERN RESOURCES, INC.
                                   (Registrant)

                                   By:/s/ JOHN E. HAYES, JR.      
                                       John E. Hayes, Jr.
                                       Chairman of the Board and
                                       Chief Executive Officer

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature                      Title                              Date
                                                                
/s/ JOHN E. HAYES, JR.
    John E. Hayes, Jr.  Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive
                        Officer (Principal Executive Officer)   June 26, 1996
                                                                
/s/ STEVEN L. KITCHEN
    Steven L. Kitchen   Executive Vice President and Chief
                        Financial Officer (Principal Financial and
                        Accounting Officer)                     June 26, 1996
                                
/s/ FRANK J. BECKER
    Frank J. Becker          Director                           June 26, 1996
                                
/s/ GENE A. BUDIG
    Gene A. Budig            Director                           June 26, 1996
                                                               
/s/ C.Q. CHANDLER
    C.Q. Chandler            Director                           June 26, 1996
                                                                
/s/ THOMAS R. CLEVENGER
    Thomas R. Clevenger      Director                           June 26, 1996
                                
/s/ JOHN C. DICUS
    John C. Dicus            Director                           June 26, 1996
                                                                
/s/ DAVID H. HUGHES
    David H. Hughes          Director                           June 26, 1996
                                
/s/ RUSSELL W. MEYER, JR.
    Russell W. Meyer, Jr.    Director                           June 26, 1996
                                                                
/s/ JOHN H. ROBINSON
    John H. Robinson         Director                           June 26, 1996
                                
/s/ LOUIS W. SMITH
    Louis W. Smith           Director                           June 26, 1996
                                
/s/ SUSAN M. STANTON
    Susan M. Stanton         Director                           June 26, 1996
                                
/s/ KENNETH J. WAGNON
    Kenneth J. Wagnon        Director                           June 26, 1996
                                
/s/ DAVID C. WITTIG
    David C. Wittig          Director                           June 26, 1996
                                
                                
                                
      The Plan.  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933,
the administrative committee of the Plan has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on the Plan's behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly
authorized, in the city of Topeka, and State of Kansas, on the 26th day of
June, 1996.
                                
                                   WESTAR SECURITY SERVICES, INC.
                                   401(k) PROFIT SHARING PLAN
                                
                                
                                
                                   By /s/ IRA W. MCKEE, JR.             
                                   Ira W. McKee, Jr.
                                   Member of the Administrative
                                   Committee

                          EXHIBIT LIST

     EXHIBIT NO.         EXHIBIT

        23               Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP, filed herewith.