Be fair in recruitment of police recruits, Kanja tells team ahead of exercise

All is set for the recruitment of 10,000 police constables in a nationwide exercise scheduled for October 3–9.

The National Police Service Commission (NPSC) on Thursday met joint recruitment panels at the Administration Police College, Embakasi “A” Campus for a comprehensive briefing ahead of the highly anticipated exercise.

Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja reaffirmed the service’s commitment to delivering a credible and transparent recruitment.

He urged officers to uphold the integrity of the process, warning that corruption would undermine public confidence.

“Let us be fair and above board in the whole exercise. Be fair to the recruits,” Kanja said, adding that the recruitment would be closely monitored by various agencies.

This will be the first police recruitment in four years, a hiatus that has deepened staffing shortages across the service.

NPSC chairperson Amani Komora said the commission would fully support the exercise to ensure transparency, accountability and merit-based selection. He noted that the staggered and joint approach was designed to promote both efficiency and credibility.

Vice chairperson Prof Collette Suda reminded panelists of the high expectations Kenyans hold for the exercise. “Ensure it is beyond reproach,” she urged.

Chief executive officer Peter Leley echoed the call for integrity, cautioning panel members against malpractice and warning that any irregularities would attract personal responsibility.

The briefing also outlined roles and responsibilities of panelists, while addressing potential challenges to ensure the exercise runs smoothly.

In attendance were senior security chiefs, including Deputy Inspector General of the Kenya Police Service Eliud Lagat, Deputy Inspector General of the Administration Police Service Gilbert Masengeli, Directorate of Criminal Investigations boss Mohamed Amin and NPSC commissioners Edwin Cheluget, Peris Muthoni and Angeline Siparo.

The recruitment has not been without controversy. Disagreements within the commission and its secretariat over the criteria briefly stalled preparations, with the matter even spilling to Parliament.

It took the intervention of senior political leaders for the process to revert to the traditional panel-driven model.