Police recruitment draws massive turnout after three years

Thousands of desperate youth across the country turned up for the police recruitment exercise conducted across the country yesterday.

However, at the end of the day, only 10,000 men and women were fortunate to be enlisted in the National Police Service (NPS), which has not recruited for the past three years.

Some of those unable to make it to the final list cited various reasons that denied them the job in a country where such opportunities for massive employment are rare.

Failing to meet specified academic qualifications, physical fitness and medical requirements were among the reasons that knocked out the job seekers who turned out in the 427 recruitment centres.

“The recruitment has been fair and transparent; I have not noticed any malpractice,” said Brian Kipkoech who failed to make it at Nyayo National Stadium where he had gone to try his luck. The man was eliminated for having a scar on the foot.

At the same centre, Dennis Chaacha had to be rushed to the hospital after fainting while running, which is a mandatory test for endurance.

The exercise was temporarily stopped as medics and police officers administered first aid to Chaacha before a decision was made to rush him to hospital after he showed no signs of improvement.

“There is no cause of alarm, the young man collapsed while running on the track,” said Jackson Owino, the centre commander for Kibra constituency.

The running exercise involved completion of 6 kilometres for men while women raced 4 kilometres. Expected height was 5 feet 6 inches for male, and 5 feet 3 inches for female.

Those with flat feet, knocked-knees, bow-legs, permanent scars, and a limping gait were eliminated, so were those without a complete set of teeth.

Also examined were the eye sight, blood pressure and urine for level of protein, pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

Unlike in the past, most of the recruitment centres did not attract huge crowds with the situation being attributed to the short recruitment notice. Some people said they had no idea the exercise was on course after a court stopped it.

“I was surprised when I woke up to find police officers preparing to conduct recruitment here. All along I knew the court had stopped the exercise, only to learn it is being done today. My brother who travelled home on Friday had expressed interest in the police job; now that opportunity has eluded him,” said a man who only identified himself as Peter at Jacaranda play ground in Embakasi East constituency.

A commissioner with Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) who visited the Jacaranda cenre attributed the low numbers of youth who turned up to the confusion created ahead of exercise.

“Actually, there was no adequate public awareness after the court stopped the exercise last week before lifting the orders two days later. I think this could explain why we are getting information from across the country, the numbers at the recruitment centres are not huge,” said the commissioner.

The exercise has faced legal hurdles with NPS and National Police Service Commission (NPSC) over who is mandated to recruit police officers. It was initially scheduled to be carried out on October 3, 2025, but it was stopped after Hraun Mwau, the petitioner, raised concern over who between NPS and NPSC should conduct the exercise.

On October 30, Justice Hellen Wasilwa of the Employment and Labour Relations Court ruled that NPSC has no mandate to recruit, promote or transfer police officers. The ruling paved way a fresh recruitment date of November 17.

But High Court Judge Bahati Mwamuye issued conservatory orders stopping the recruitment exercise. However, two days later on November 14, Justice Bahati suspended set aside the conservatory orders, allowing the exercise to proceed.

Police Inspector General Douglas Kanja has said the ongoing recruitment of trainees into the police service will serve to boost the much needed security during the 2027 general election.

Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja who toured some of the recruitment centres termed the exercise a success while exuding confidence that the recruits will inject energy in the service.

According to Kanja, his desire is to build a police service that works for Kenyans, and that the right attitude police attitude starts at recruitment level.

“I thank our field officers who have done a sterling job and every Kenyan who wished to join the police service got a fair and transparent chance. The new crop of officers will inject the much needed reform spirit in the service and serve Kenyans with selflessness,” Kanja told The Standard.

For the last three years, the annual recruitment exercise has not been carried out following a silent moratorium due to financial constraints.

The freeze adversely affected the ability of officers to deliver amid threats posed by criminals, cattle rustlers, bandits and terrorists.

Police numbers have gone down as a result of natural attrition or officers quitting for greener pastures.

The recruitment will address the existing gaps after some officers were dismissed, resigned, retired, died or got permanently disabled while in the line of duty.

The United Nations recommended police-population ratio is 1: 450, meaning one police officer for every 450 people.

And while addressing the media at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos where he landed to inspect the recruitment exercise, Kanja emphasised that the recruitment exercise seeks to bridge the deficit incurred in the past three years where recruitment did not take place.

“For the past three years, we have not carried out any recruitment exercise. This number is coming in at a critical time that we need to add strength into the service while at the same time we focus on the 2027 general election and going forward,” he stated.

The IG assured that no major complaints had been reported throughout the 427 recruitment centres.

“I have been briefed that the exercise has been smooth and we look forward to seeing that by the end of the exercise we will get the numbers we were targeting,” said Kanja after conducting a similar inspection exercise in Narok.