Human Rights commission faults police recruitment exercise

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has expressed its reservations over recruitment of police officers that took place Monday.

In a report released Tuesday, the commission indicates that gender considerations in the entire exercise was worrying adding that the two-thirds gender rule was not achieved.

“For example, in Moyale Police Station, the total number of recruits required were 11 where 2 were to be female while 9 would be male. In Amagoro, the number required were 28 with 2 slots being given to female recruits while 26 were allocated to male candidates,” read the report in part.

“In Eldoret Show Ground, the total number required was 28 with 2 slots given to females and 26 allocated to males. In Ngong Stadium, the total number of recruits were 30 with males taking 26 while females were given 4. In Uhuru Park Kwale 35 recruits were taken where 4 were female while 31 were male. In Garissa Primary, 18 slots were provided where 15 were given to male while 3 were given to male.”

The report also highlighted infrastructure saying that the system used to carry out medical examinations was of major concerns.

“While in some cases the medical tests were done in hospitals near the recruitment centres, there were cases where the medical tests were done in makeshift camps and classrooms thus denying the successful candidates the desired chance,” said KNCHR.

The commission’s chair, Kagwiria Mbogori, now says the exercise should be repeated in a number of centers including the NYS headquarters, Mwangaza Primary in Nairobi, Karina Primary in Nyamira among others where KNCHR officers were locked out.

The commission, which was observing the recruitment countrywide, deployed officers to check on the suspicious activities at the NYS headquarters which is reported to have continued into the night.

According to police, however, the exercise had to continue into the night due to the high number of hopefuls who turned up.

The recruitment has previously been marred by allegations of graft. On Monday, a suspected fraudster was arraigned in a Nairobi court for receiving and attempting to receive money from different individuals promising that he would facilitate the recruitment of their kin into the Kenya Administration Police (AP) service.

Joseph Kipkoech Keino is accused of receiving Ksh 55,000 from Lesley Cherop Bungei after he promised to help recruit her cousin into the AP.

In a similar incident, Kipkoech attempted to dupe another man, Francis Singila, into parting with Ksh 150,000 promising to influence the recruitment of his brother into the police force.

KNCHR chair now says that bribery was as rampant as it was last year during the police recruitment exercise.

The recruitment drive conducted in 331 centers across the country sought to enlist 10 thousand officers.