The High Court has once again stopped the recruitment of 10,000 police constables and officers by the National Police Service (NPS).
The police recruitment exercise was scheduled to begin nationwide on Monday, November 17, 2025.
In a ruling dated Monday, November 10, Justice Bahati granted conservatory orders suspending the notice of recruitment of police constables/officers issued by the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, following an application and petition by Karanja Matindi.
Court Stops the Recruitment of 10,000 Police Officers Again
The court ruled that the case will be mentioned on January 22, 2026, to confirm compliance and to take directions on the expedited hearing and determination of the Application and/or Petition
THIS MATTER coming up 10/11/2025 in Chambers for Directions on the Petitioner/Applicant’s Notice of Motion Application dated 06/11/2025 before the Honourable Mr. Justice Bahati Mwamuye MBS, and upon a preliminary consideration of the same
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED AND DIRECTED THAT:
1. Pending the inter portes hearing and determination of the Petitioner/Applicant’s Notice of Motion. Application dated 06/11/2025, a conservatory order be and is hereby issued suspending the Notice of Recruitment of Police Constables/Officers issued on 04/11/2025 by the 1st Respondent.2. Pending the inter partes bearing and determination of the Petitioner/Applicant’s Notice of Motion Application dated 06/11/2025, a conservatory order be and is bereby issued staying the operation, application, implementation, and/or further operation, application and implementation of the Notice of Recruitment of Police Constables/Officers issued on 04/11/2025 by the 1st Respondent.
3. Order 1 and Order 2 apply to the Respondents and the Ist Interested Party, jointly and severally, and to their employees, servants, agents, related entities, and any person, body, or authority that operates with them under any multi-agency framework, and inchades all facilitative or support functions or services with respect to the impagned Police Recruitment.
4. The Petitioner shall serve the Respondents and the Interested Parties with the Application, the Petition, and this Court Order immediately and file an Affidavit of Service in that regard by close of business 12/11/2025.
5. The Respondents and the Interested Parties shall enter appearance and file and serve their respective responses to both the Application and the Petition, and they shall do so by close of business 11/12/2025,
6. The Petitioner shall have leave to file and serve a rejoinder, if need be, and it shall do so by close of business 09/01/2026.
7. Mention on 22/01/2026 to confirm compliance and to take directions on the expedited hearing and determination of the Application and/or Petition.
Penal Notice: Take notice that any disobedience or non-observance of the order of the court served herewith will result in penal consequences to you and any other personist disobeying and not observing the same
Earlier Court Ruling on the Recruitment
NPS announced a nationwide police recruitment drive, a day after the Employment and Labour Relations Court ruled that the mandate for police recruitment lies with the Office of the Inspector General of Police and not the National Police Service Commission (NPSC).
In a judgment delivered on Thursday, October 30, Justice Hellen Wasilwa stated that the recruitment, training, and assignment of duties to police officers fall exclusively under the mandate of the NPS.
She further observed that, since the Commission is not tasked with overseeing internal security under the Constitution, it has no authority to conduct or supervise the recruitment of police constables.
In her ruling, Justice Hellen Wasilwa faulted the NPSC for allegedly violating Article 239 of the Constitution as she dismissed the recently advertised nationwide police recruitment exercise.
This comes after the court, on October 2, issued a temporary order halting the recruitment pending the determination of a petition filed by Harun Mwau. The recruitment exercise had been scheduled to begin on Friday, October 3, 2025.
Harun Mwau argued in the petition that the Constitution vests independent command of the National Police Service (NPS) and provides that no person may give direction to the Police IG regarding the employment, assignment, promotion, suspension, or even the dismissal of any member of the service.
Mwau submitted that NPSC has purported to usurp powers of the Police IG and NPS without right or authority and announced the process.
He said that unless the process is stopped, a large number of members of the public might be involved in an unconstitutional recruitment exercise, which is void and invalid under Article 2 of the Constitution.
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