Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has appealed to the Judiciary to lift a court order halting the police recruitment exercise.
Speaking at the Jukwaa la Usalama forum in Nairobi on Thursday, Murkomen insisted that the country urgently needs more officers to safeguard its security.
He expressed concern over the order, which suspended the recruitment exercise that had been scheduled for Friday, October 3, 2025, describing the decision as unprecedented, noting that police hiring has not been stopped in the past four years.
“I wish I would be allowed to call the judge directly to understand the consequence of a court order stopping recruitment of police,” Murkomen said.
“It is very critical for the safety of our country to recruit those police officers urgently, not just for anything else, but to secure our borders.”
The CS pointed out that many officers have retired or passed on, creating a gap in the service that must be urgently filled.
He added that the new recruits need to undergo training in time to support the next elections.
Murkomen further expressed hope that the judge who issued the order would consider the country’s security needs.
“I hope that the judge will watch my speech so that I don’t need to call her and will apply reason to make sure that process is opened very quickly,” he said.
He assured the public that the matter would soon be resolved, stressing that maintaining a strong police force was essential for national stability.
The police recruitment exercise was postponed on Thursday after the Employment and Labour Relations Court issued an order in a case filed by one John Harun Mwau.
Lady Justice Hellen Wasilwa delivered the ruling on Thursday, October 2, 2025, issuing an interim conservatory order that stops the entire recruitment.
"Interim conservatory order is hereby issued, staying the entire recruitment pending resolution of the Petition," the court stated.
Both the Inspector General and the National Police Service Commission are required to submit their responses within seven days, while the petitioner may file additional affidavits in the same timeframe.
The court set the next mention for October 21, 2025, to verify compliance and hear further submissions.
The ruling comes shortly after a separate petition by civil society group Sheria Mtaani and activist Shadrach Wambui was withdrawn.
The petitioners said appeals from young Kenyans who had already travelled to recruitment centres influenced their decision.