27 April 2011
Nairobi — Seven thousand youth were enlisted in the Police on Wednesday in an event marked with many firsts.
The recruitment was carried out in 286 centres and aimed at enrolling 700 university graduates and 2,300 women among the fresh entrants.
Many hopefuls were, however, turned away for failing to meet the new requirement of a minimum of Grade C in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination, or its equivalent.
Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere said this would be waived in areas where all candidates failed to attain the score.
“Each district has been allocated a specific number of vacancies. Recruiting officers have therefore been advised to lower the grades in areas they are presiding, if none of the applicants meets the educational requirement,” Mr Iteere said.
Others were rejected for not having national identity cards, original academic certificates and turning up at centres outside their districts of birth.
Scores were arrested either for presenting forged documents or attempting to bribe the recruiting officers.
Successful applicants were informed and issued with unique identification numbers and are expected to report to college between May 12 and May 14.
In Pokot, Commission for the Implementation of Constitution chairman Charles Nyachae noted some anomalies.
Speaking at Makutano Stadium where the enlisting took place, he said only four of the 22 youth recruited were women, against the provisions of the Constitution.
The new law demands that a third of any public appointments must be from either gender, and Mr Iteere said they will comply with it.
For the first time, the recruits would undergo a 15-month training programme, up from nine months.
Of those recruited, 4,000 will join the Administration Police and the rest the regular police, which comprises specialist units such as the CID and the GSU.
The recruits will also take a common course, unlike in the past, where training varied with the formation.
It was also the first time the recruitment was done in one day nationwide, with the two units doing it jointly.
The units are expected to come under one command after the National Police Service is formed.
Recruitment of constables was frozen three years ago following recommendations by a taskforce chaired by Justice Philip Ransley to give way for police reforms, including a new curriculum.
“Emphasis on paramilitary training and drills inculcates in the recruits psyche that policing is combative and confrontational,” the taskforce warned.
Wednesday’s recruitment, unlike previous ones, carried out by divisional police commanders, was conducted by district security committees headed by district commissioners.
Past recruitments were riddled with corruption and stringent measures were put in place to curb the vice.
The DCs were required to announce the available vacancies at the start at 8.40am and inform successful candidates by evening.
The Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights and a dozen non-governmental organisations were invited as observers.
In Kilifi, DC Katee Mwanza said only 35 youth would be recruited, while in Nakuru, Mr Kang’ethe Thuku said they had 20 slots.
Only one female university graduate presented herself for recruitment out of 145 candidates.
In Naivasha, a young woman was arrested for presenting a fake KCSE result slip.
The woman said she had presented forged papers “because I was desperately looking for this job in the last two years.”
A 20-year-old man was arrested in Nyahururu with a forged result slip claiming he had scored C plain yet he had a C minus.
In Laikipia East, two senior officers missed the recruitment after they were alleged to have solicited bribes from potential recruits.
However, they were cleared after investigations.
AllAfrica – All the Time
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7,000 Youth Join Police Force in Day of Firsts