IPOA Flags Gaps in Recent Police Recruitment Exercise

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has raised concerns about several issues noted during the National Police Service (NPS) recruitment held on November 17.

In a statement on Friday, IPOA Chair Ahmed Issack Hassan said the Authority observed a low turnout of candidates across various centres. He, however, noted that the recruitment process was largely transparent, professional, and aligned with the required standards.

“Recruitment teams provided constructive feedback to unsuccessful candidates, demonstrating a commitment to fair and ethical recruitment practices,” Hassan said.

Despite the positive conduct of the exercise, IPOA said turnout remained low. Hassan attributed this to the minimum KCSE requirement of a D+ for Police Constable positions and poor communication after a court order allowing the recruitment to proceed was lifted.

Hassan also noted that the National Youth Service (NYS) had attracted high interest, but many applicants lacked discharge certificates, which are necessary for verification.

IPOA further raised concerns about the long hours of the exercise. Although the recruitment was scheduled for 8am to 5pm, some centres, including the NYS Headquarters, concluded past midnight. Hassan recommended that future recruitment exercises be extended to at least two days.

The Authority also observed that some candidates lacked basic essentials such as drinking water during the exercise.

Hassan added that the allocation of successful candidates to the General Service Unit (GSU), Administration Police Service (APS) or Kenya Police Service (KPS) was left to the discretion of officers based on physical fitness, available slots and applicants’ preferences. Some units reportedly did not receive female recruits.

IPOA is now calling on the NPS to improve logistics and strengthen communication on eligibility requirements to boost public participation in future recruitment exercises.