Thousands of those hoping to join police service are expected at over 400 recruitment centres nationwide Monday morning as the National Police Service (NPS) seeks to enlist 10,000 constables, marking one of the largest single-day recruitment drives in recent years.
The recruitment will run from 8am to 5pm at 427 centres, where candidates will undergo traditional physical and medical examinations under the supervision of recruitment officers.
A woman during the police recruitment exercise at Gusii Stadium in Kisii on Monday, November 17, 2025.
Photo credit: Wycliffe Nyaberi | Nation Media Group
Earlier in the year, the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) announced that candidates would be able to apply online and would then be informed of their suitability. The Commission explained that this move was intended to reduce unnecessary physical and medical examinations for those who did not qualify.
In its announcement to the public regarding the exercise, the NPS urged eligible Kenyan youths to participate, describing the process as a 'new dawn for Kenya'.
The Service emphasised that the new cohort of officers is expected to drive ongoing reforms and strengthen professionalism, accountability and public trust in policing. The Service also issued a strong warning against bribery, acknowledging the concerns surrounding corruption in past recruitment processes.
“Anyone engaging in bribery, whether as giver or taker, will face the full force of the law,” the Service cautioned.
Police recruitment exercise at the Karisa Maitha grounds in Kilifi town on November 17, 2025.
Photo credit: Maureen Ongala | Nation Media Group
This delayed drive comes at a time when security agencies are under mounting pressure to fill staffing gaps that have strained operations across urban and rural areas.
Young men who turned up for the National Police Service recruitment exercise at Kibaki Grounds in Lamu on November 17, 2025.
Photo credit: Kalume Kazungu | Nation Media Group
In recent years, the NPS and NPSC have been embroiled in an ongoing dispute over who has the lawful mandate to recruit police officers. The Constitution established a dual structure: The Inspector General has operational command of the Service, while the NPSC has authority over human resource management, including promotions, transfers and disciplinary control.
These overlapping roles have led to frequent disputes, with each institution insisting on its interpretation of constitutional and statutory powers. Several recruitment cycles have ended up in court, with the two bodies challenging each other’s legitimacy.
This year alone, the High Court has ruled on this dispute three times in under two weeks.
On October 30, 2025, Justice Hellen Wasilwa of the Employment and Labour Relations Court ruled that the NPSC has no constitutional authority to recruit, train, assign, promote, suspend or dismiss members of the National Police Service. She declared that these functions fall exclusively under the independent command of the Inspector General, as enshrined in Article 245 of the Constitution.
Justice Wasilwa nullified Legal Notice No. 159 of September 19, 2025, citing violations of Articles 238, 239, 243 and 245 of the Constitution. She also issued a permanent injunction to prevent the NPSC from conducting any recruitment or related human resource processes.
She also urged Parliament to review the National Police Service Act and the NPSC Act comprehensively, in order to eliminate overlaps that undermine the Inspector General’s autonomy.
On November 10, 2025, Justice Bahati Mwamuye issued a competing court order. In response to a petition filed by activist Eliud Matindi, Justice Mwamuye issued a conservatory order suspending the recruitment notice issued by the Inspector General on 4 November, which had set November 17 for the recruitment process. He required the Inspector General, the NPSC and other interested entities to halt all planning and implementation of the recruitment process pending further hearings.
However, just days later, on November 14, Justice Mwamuye suspended his earlier conservatory order, allowing the recruitment to proceed temporarily.
