Police Nationwide Recruitment Under Investigations

The National Police Service recruitment and hiring process is under investigation because of bribery scandals.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has launched an audit to assess corruption within the police service, focusing on recruitment, financial management, and policy implementation.

The audit will investigate the police recruitment processes, to determine whether corruption begins at the hiring stage, after reports of officers paying bribes to secure jobs.

At the same time, the commission will focus on policies and procedures to evaluate existing anti-corruption measures and identify loopholes.

Also, EACC will investigate financial management at the service, to asses how funds allocated to the police are managed and whether there are systemic weaknesses that encourage bribery.

Also Read: Thousands of Jobs for Police Officers as Interior Ministry Lifts Recruitment Freeze

How Kenyans Are Bribing Police Officers

According to the latest EACC report, bribery incidents involving police officers surged in 2023, with 75 percent of respondents admitting to bribing traffic police. 

At the same time, 71 percent of individuals admitted to paying regular officers for services.

According to the commission, this marks an increase from 69 percent recorded in 2022, raising concerns over deep-seated corruption within law enforcement.

The report highlights systemic corruption, where individuals seeking police jobs or services must pay hefty bribes to secure positions or favourable treatment.

Also Read: Police Recruitment Grade Raised in Proposed Changes

2025 Recruitment

Thousands of police officers are set to be recruited in 2025 after the Interior Ministry lifted a two-year hiring freeze in December 2024. 

Internal Security Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo confirmed that the freeze, imposed in 2022 due to budgetary constraints, would be lifted allowing for fresh recruitment into the police service.

PS Omollo further stated that the upcoming recruitment exercise will include cadet officers, in line with recommendations from the task force on reforms in the National Police Service, Kenya Prisons Service, and the National Youth Service (NYS), which was chaired by former Chief Justice David Maraga.

The task force had raised concerns over the cadet recruitment process, describing it as contentious and a source of frustration among serving officers.

Additionally, it emphasized that cadet recruitment should be aligned with the long-term leadership needs of the National Police Service (NPS).

The report proposed that candidates for cadet training should have a minimum KCSE grade of B while serving officers could qualify after earning a degree and completing the necessary training within the service.

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