Police recruitment plan in limbo as NPSC divisions deepen
Recruitment had been scheduled to begin in the first week of September, with recruits expected to report to training colleges by October 1.
The recruitment of 10,000 police officers faces collapse after fresh divisions within the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) stalled preparations just weeks before the October admission deadline.
The disagreements, fuelled by disputes over a proposed online application platform and growing tensions between civilian commissioners and senior police chiefs, have left the exercise without a budget and unclear timelines.
Recruitment had been scheduled to begin in the first week of September, with recruits expected to report to training colleges by October 1.
The deadlock has now placed pressure on newly appointed commission chairperson Dr Amani Komora to broker peace and guide the process forward. He is expected to work closely with Inspector General Douglas Kanja and his deputies to salvage the plan.
Komora has called a full commission meeting on Friday at the CBK Pension Towers, which will serve as his formal introduction and a platform to address the recruitment crisis.
Speaking after his swearing-in, Komora pledged to heal rifts within the body. “We will build a cohesive and unified NPSC, taking into account that divisions would undermine our ability to achieve our mandate. Unity of purpose will be our focus,” he said.
At the centre of the standoff is the online recruitment system recommended by the National Security Council. Civilian commissioners, led by Leley, back the plan, while Kanja, his deputies Gilbert Masengeli and Eliud Lagat, and DCI Director Mohammed Amin have opposed it, saying it was introduced without formal approval of the commission.
The dispute has been intensified by a flurry of letters between Leley and Kanja. On August 6, Leley wrote to the Inspector General, informing him that the commission had revoked all delegated powers he previously held over human resource management. The letter was copied to Auditor General Nancy Gathungu, Treasury PS Chris Kiptoo, National Assembly Clerk Samuel Njoroge, and NPS Accounting Officer Bernice Lemedeket.
The commission is also grappling with recommendations from its predecessor under Eliud Kinuthia, whose exit report in April highlighted irregularities in officer transfers. The report faulted police chiefs for presenting transfer lists after changes had already been made, urging prior consultation with the commission.
President William Ruto, while receiving the report, underscored the need for reforms in the police service. “Even as we acknowledge this success, we also recognise the challenges that remain and demand our urgent focus and attention. Issues such as irregular police recruitment, budgetary constraints, and the need for a sustainable police welfare programme must be addressed without equivocation,” he said.
While the report did not anticipate the current conflict, the divisions between the commission and police leadership now threaten to derail the recruitment of 10,000 officers and stall reforms in the service.
