Govt to Recruit 10,000 Police Officers by July

This is the announcement made by President Uhuru Kenyatta during the State of the National assembly Thursday afternoon in the National Assembly.

The President noted that although there was a delay in the recruitment process following a court order, the government is still “determined to complete this recruitment before the end of the financial year.”

He said that this is in line with the Jubilee government’s administration plan to increase the force by 10,000 recruits annually.

He further noted that legislative and policy initiatives including an overhaul of our security framework through the Security Laws (Amendment) Act 2014, and the adoption of a national counter radicalisation strategy, have transformed the legal and policy landscape over the last few months.

“We now have a robust and far-reaching legal framework to counter the current threats relating to terrorism. This will go a long way in safeguarding the lives and property of Kenyans and our visitors,” added the Head of State.

OPERATIONAL POSITIONS

The Head of State noted that there was an increased “tempo in operations” adding that the government is “detecting, disrupting and preventing attacks on our people and territory.”

He added that the recent appointment of new leadership in key strategic and operational positions in a number of security organs offers an opportunity to inject new ideas and drive that are much needed for the capacity and morale of our personnel.

“It is imperative that the synergy and improving performance emerging from the security sector be sustained. The on-going police vetting process has taken too long and is now having a negative impact on the overall reform agenda in the police.”

The Head of State noted that the state of the national economy, public safety and security, and international standing depend fundamentally on “our ability to secure this nation on a sustainable basis.”

“Our vigilance and efforts must, therefore, remain strong. It is for this reason that I have put every security organ on high alert and ensured substantial additional resources to this sector,” added President Kenyatta.

He further noted that the country expect a corresponding commitment by security agencies to secure this nation.

He called on Kenyans to take up “their civic duty to cooperate with the security actors in the effort to secure our motherland.”

The Head of State’s sentiments comes at a time when Kenyans have raised a red flag over the increased cases of security threat in the country.