Thousands of Police officers are set to be recruited in 2025 following the lift of a two-year freeze by the Interior Ministry.
According to Internal Security Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo, the recruitment freeze, which was introduced in 2022 because of budgetary constraints, is expected to end in 2025.
The move will pave the way for thousands of recruits to join the police service.
“We have not recruited police officers for the last two years, mainly because of budgetary constraints.
“However, recruitment has been factored into the budget for the next financial year, and we will be filling gaps in the ranks of the police service,” said the PS.
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Recruitment of New Police Officers
Further, PS Omollo stated 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 task force had flagged issues in the cadet recruitment process, describing it as controversial and a source of dissatisfaction among serving officers.
Additionally, it recommended that cadet recruitment focus on addressing the future leadership needs of the National Police Service (NPS).
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.
Moreover, in July 2024, the National Police Service Commission informed the National Assembly’s Committee on Administration and Internal Security of its plan to recruit over 25,000 police officers within five years.
Also, the commission indicated that although more than 10,000 officers had exited the service because of natural attrition, deployment, and retirement, among other reasons, funding limitations had prevented new hiring.
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Salary Adjustments for Officers
On the other hand, the Ministry of Interior PS announced a 10 percent salary increase for police officers in 2025.
The pay raise will mark the second phase of an ongoing salary adjustment initiative that began this year and was backdated to July.
The initial increment saw entry-level police constables’ basic salaries increase by Ksh4,000, rising from Ksh21,645 to Ksh25,645.
Junior officers benefited from a 20 percent pay rise this year as part of a broader 40 percent salary adjustment recommended by the Maraga Task Force
The Maraga task force noted that while the cost of living had surged by 84 percent since 2013, the basic salary for newly recruited police constables had only risen by 21 percent, from Ksh17,190 to Ksh20,926, over the same period.
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