Police hopefuls will no longer be showing up at the crack of dawn at numerous recruitment centres to engage in rigorous physical exercises and medical checks ups to prove their suitability without any guarantee that they will be selected.
Instead, these processes shall be a preserve for those shortlisted following successful applications via a newly established digital recruitment system that will transform how police officers are hired in Kenya.
According to National Police Service Commission (NPSC) CEO, Peter Leley, the new system introduces an unprecedented level of automation that will significantly reduce manual handling of applications.
Mr Maruk during recruitment of police officers on July 14, 2014. He died in an accident in Garissa. PHOTO | MANASE OTSIALO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
“The entire process, from submission to shortlisting, will be conducted online. This will not only enhance transparency but also improve efficiency,” he said. However, the new system is subject to parliamentary approval.
Mr Leley also assured the public that only shortlisted candidates will participate in physical assessments, unlike in previous years where thousands would turn up at recruitment centres only to be turned away for not meeting the requirements.
“When we go to the field, we will only be dealing with those who have already been shortlisted. We have removed dark areas such as medical examinations and moved them to a later stage to streamline the process,” he said.
The system, Edwin Cheluget, the acting chairperson of the NPSC revealed, has been in the making for the past two years, adding that it will be an solution to serious gaps noted in the old-fashioned model of recruitment.
“This is a solid programme. It has been thoroughly tested, and it is going to be a gamechanger in ensuring the recruitment process and all activities of the Commission are conducted at the optimum level,” Mr Cheluget said.
At the heart of the system is a digitised application and assessment platform that largely eliminates human interaction, thereby tackling allegations of bribery, favouritism, and manipulation that have long plagued the police recruitment process.
In areas without internet access, the Commission said it will deploy pre-recruitment clinics to help applicants complete the digital application process. Applicants will also be given ample time to submit their applications, ensuring no one is left out due to technical or logistical challenges.
The Commission said that it has built robust firewalls to protect applicant data and prevent hacking, and the system has been reinforced to handle the large volumes of data expected during recruitment.
Officers to be assigned the role of managing the recruitment exercise will be carefully vetted and trained on ethics and anti-corruption principles.
Police recruits during a pass out ceremony at Kiganjo Police Training College, Nyeri. A fresh police recruitment that will be guided by strict regulations gazetted on Friday is set to kick off on Monday across the country. PHOTO | FILE |
The commission is currently awaiting budget approval to fully roll out and sustain these initiatives. The NPSC has already presented to Parliament their requirements and are hopeful that MPs will ensure that funding aligns with their expanded mandate.
“We are working with all stakeholders, including Parliament, to ensure the Commission has the resources it needs. We believe that if we do this right, it will fundamentally change how policing is perceived in Kenya,
“The idea is that money should follow the function. Parliament is convinced that we need to do things differently, and we are optimistic about the outcome,” Mr Cheluget said.
This new recruitment system comes at a time when the Commission is conducting the promotion and training of senior officers.
Mr Cheluget revealed that a total of 132 senior officers concluded their training earlier this year in a move to enhance managerial and leadership skills within the service. Of these, 69 underwent training at the National Police Service Senior College in Emali, while 63 were trained at the Kiganjo Police Training College.
Promotions are currently being finalised, with interviews ongoing for officers moving from the rank of Chief Inspector to Assistant Superintendent of Police.
The NPSC acting boss said that the officers have undergone rigorous training, covering the Administration Police, Kenya Police Service, and Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
““This is a continuous process to capacitate officers being promoted. The aim is to equip them with the leadership and managerial skills necessary for improved performance...We are about to conclude the interviews and confirm the officers fit for promotion by next week,”Mr Cheluget said.
