The government has announced changes to the recruitment process of the National Police Service (NPS) officers. The Chairperson National Police Service Commission Eliud Kinuthia announced the changes.
Speaking during the presentation of the National Police Service Commission exit report at State House on Monday, March 17, Kinuthia stated that the new process will incorporate an automated information system.
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Further, he noted that the move is aimed at curbing corruption and streamlining the hiring process for the National Police Service.
Moreover, the changes are part of a broader effort to ensure fairness, transparency, and accessibility in recruitment.
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“On police recruitment, as we leave, the commission has designed an automated police recruitment information system that would reduce drastically human contact and interaction during the entire process of police recruitment,” said Kinuthia.
Also Read: Police Recruitment Grade Raised in Proposed Changes
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Details of the New Police Recruitment Process
According to the Commission, the system has been specifically designed to reduce human contact and interaction, which is a loophole for corrupt practices.
Consequently, the Commission has identified key areas in the recruitment process that are prone to manipulation, including manual shortlisting, academic document verification, and medical examinations.
These stages have been mapped out, and new interventions introduced to minimize compromises that often disadvantage deserving candidates.
“The system has mapped corruption-prone stages in the process of recruitment and has devised intervention that would reduce vulnerability to corruption for youth seeking police jobs,” explained the commission’s chairman.
Additionally, while addressing concerns over the financial burden placed on applicants, the commission reiterated its commitment to ending bribery in police recruitment.
“No Kenyan citizen should have to sell their land, livestock, or property just to secure a place in the National Police Service,” added Kinuthia.
Also Read: Thousands of Jobs for Police Officers as Interior Ministry Lifts Recruitment Freeze
2025 Recruitment
In December 2024, the Interior Ministry lifted a two-year freeze on police recruitment, paving the way for the enlistment of thousands of officers in 2025.
Internal Security Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo confirmed that the recruitment freeze, imposed in 2022 due to budgetary constraints would end in 2025.
Moreover, the ministry noted that the upcoming recruitment exercise will include cadet officers, as recommended by the former Chief Justice David Maraga-led Task Force on reforms in the National Police Service, Kenya Prisons Service, and the National Youth Service (NYS).
The report suggested that candidates for cadet training should have a minimum KCSE grade of B while serving officers could qualify for cadet training after obtaining a degree and completing the requisite training within the service.
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