President William Ruto has announced that the long-awaited police recruitment exercise, which had stalled for over three years due to budgetary constraints, will be conducted next month.
Speaking on Thursday during the National Youth Service (NYS) recruits’ passing-out parade in Gilgil, the Head of State disclosed that 10,000 new police officers will be hired, with 4,000 of those slots reserved for NYS graduates.
Ruto explained that the decision was aimed at absorbing the thousands of young people who successfully complete NYS training every year, adding that the service produces disciplined and adept graduates who are well-suited for national duty.
“I have given instructions to the Ministry of Interior to ensure that out of the 10,000 police officers to be recruited, 4,000 will be given to the NYS. This should be done in our next hiring, which is due next month,” the President stated.
The President further revealed that NYS graduates will also be given priority in other disciplined services, including the Kenya Defence Forces, as well as in affordable housing schemes being implemented by the government.
To improve conditions at the Gilgil campus, Ruto pledged to personally oversee the construction of a new kitchen facility and directed that other amenities be upgraded to match the increasing number of recruits passing through the institution.
Additionally, the President instructed the Ministry of Public Service and the National Treasury to allocate more human resources and funding to the NYS to strengthen its capacity and expand opportunities for Kenyan youth.
During the passout, 18,000 youth graduated from the service after months of training, with President Ruto noting that it is the highest number to have ever graduated during a single passout.
Meanwhile, in May this year, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja told the Senate Committee on National Cohesion, Equal Opportunity and Regional Integration that police officer recruitments will be done online, a transition from the field-based parades that have been in place for decades.
The IG revealed that it was necessary to change the recruitment process to curb fraud cases reported during the process.
Under the system, the National Police Service (NPS) will use the new Police Recruitment System, which was presented to the Inspector General by the National Police Service Commission (NPSC).
Candidates will apply through the system by submitting the required documents online. Only shortlisted candidates will then advance to the field for physical assessment.
