President William Ruto has announced plans for a nationwide police recruitment exercise.
Speaking during a National Youth Service (NYS) pass-out parade on Thursday, August 28, 2025, Ruto announced that recruitment will take place in September 2025.
“I have already given instructions to the Ministry of Interior that next month (September), when we recruit 10,000 police officers, 4,000 of them must come from the National Youth Service.
Many more of you will venture into the private enterprise powered by Nyota, Hustler Fund and other initiatives that are turning ideas into thriving businesses,” said Ruto.
Ruto Announces Date for Police Recruitment
President Ruto revealed that the government will recruit 10,000 police officers, and out of these, 4,000 will come from the NYS.
The Head of State stated that the inclusion of NYS members in the police recruitment will bolster the nation’s peace and enhance security.
At the same time, President Ruto urged the NYS graduates to embrace hard work, courage, and faith, noting that these values would carry them further than privilege ever could.
“From this day, go forward in confidence, serve with pride, innovate with boldness, and strive with conviction,” said Ruto.
Also Read: New Police Recruitment Process Sparks Uproar
The Police recruitment in Kenya has been suspended since March 2022, when the last nationwide recruitment occurred.
The freeze which has lasted for 3 years has been due to budgetary constraints.
IG Kanja Promises Recruitment Process Will be Fair
On Sunday August 10, 2025, Inspector General of police Douglas Kanja said that the upcoming recruitment exercise will help address a shortage of 5,000 officers and move the service closer to the United Nations’ recommended police-to-population ratio of 1:450.
“We expect the recruitment exercise to take place around September or October. Remember, for the last three years we haven’t enlisted new officers to beef up our numbers as we aim to attain the United Nations’ recommended ratio of 1:450,” Kanja said.
In a past public forum attended by the IG and Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen, Kanja affirmed that the exercise would observe gender equality and that the process would be fair.
“To all the women here, the National Police is very gender-sensitive. As we move toward recruitment—and we know it is coming soon, as our CS has said—we will include both genders, because each gender has a role to play. By doing it that way, everyone will be well represented,” he said.
He further reiterated that women would not be sidelined in the upcoming police recruitment.
Also Read: 7 Simple Ways to Increase Your Chances in Police Recruitment
Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen echoed Kanja’s sentiments, insisting that women must be given equal opportunities as men in the recruitment process.
“You cannot say we cannot hire women. We have a constitutional obligation to reach 30%. Right now, we are only at 14%, and we are still pushing to reach that 30%,” Murkomen stated.
Earlier this year on January 10 2025, Principal Secretary for Internal Security Dr. Raymond Omollo announced that the National Police Service (NPS) will also feature the recruitment of cadets to join the police service.
“There are issues around human resources that we must do and human rights that we must undertake and even the proposals to reintroduce the hiring of cadet officers so that not everybody who joins the rank and file of the national police must join the same level and all these are geared towards addressing some of the gaps,” Omollo disclosed.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and X Account for real-time news updates.
