The advertised recruitment of cadets in the Kenya Prisons Service has caused unease among officers who have raised concerns over “unfair promotion practices”.
The warders are apprehensive that the differing criteria for the recruitment of Inspectors of Prisons give members of the public an upper hand compared to serving officers.
They claim that the planned recruitment of cadets, who will include Chief Inspectors and Senior Sergeants, is a scheme to lock them out of promotions.
However, Commissioner General Patrick Arandu has denied the allegations of discrimination and foul play.
Warders who spoke to Nation.Africa on condition of anonymity said some senior individuals within the service are scheming to hand out promotions to their relatives, friends and individuals with deep pockets or political connections, and thereby bypassing deserving officers.
In an internal communiqué issued by Commissioner General of Prisons Patrick Arandu on April 11, 2025, and addressed to all prison heads, warders were invited to attend interviews for promotions to the rank of Inspector of Prisons.
The requirements for promotion include: at least three years’ experience for Senior Sergeants; a bachelor’s degree for those with less than three years of experience; and a master's degree for Corporals or Sergeants.
Constables must have 10 years’ experience, a master’s degree in any field, and a clean disciplinary record over the past three years to be considered.
However, a separate public advertisement from the Ministry of Interior, dated April 7, 2025, invited qualified members of the public to apply for the position of professional cadets, which includes Inspectors and Senior Sergeants.
For the public applicants, the minimum requirement is a relevant bachelor’s degree from a recognised university.
Serving officers argue that this amounts to discrimination as their promotion criteria are more stringent than those applied to external candidates.
An officer, who spoke in confidence, said it is the first time he has encountered such criteria, adding that promotions in the service are supposed to occur systematically.
“More and more junior officers without connections or money risk stagnating in their careers, while outsiders with minimal experience are brought in and promoted,” he said.
He also questioned the rationale behind the requirement of 10 years’ experience and a master’s degree for constables, calling it a ploy to side line serving officers in favour of well-connected individuals.
“We believe this is designed to disqualify us and create room for their children, relatives, friends, and those with money,” he said.
He argued that internal promotions would have created opportunities for junior officers to advance based on merit.
According to him, the irony is that a serving officer might have a better chance applying as a member of the public.
He added that it was demoralising to see outsiders with no experience end up making decisions for long-serving officers.
The officer called for fair and equitable treatment in promotions and employment benefits. He also suggested that the service should have conducted a skills audit internally before advertising the positions publicly.
“We suspect that our seniors have deliberately refused to promote us so that they can sneak in other people. Promotions used to be automatic and predictable. Now, it feels like it’s all politics,” he said.
Another officer, who has served as a constable for 18 years, shared his frustration at being repeatedly overlooked for promotion. He said that newer officers have surpassed him in rank within a short time due to connections.
“This system promotes a class ceiling where only the connected and wealthy can move up the ranks. It kills the hard work of officers who have remained loyal to the service,” said the officer, who also spoke on condition of anonymity.
Following the advertisement, qualified candidates are required to submit formal applications to the Commissioner General of Prisons through their respective heads. The deadline for applications is April 30.
Speaking to Nation.Africa on the phone, Mr Arandu said the positions advertised to the public are for professional cadets trained in specific technical fields that are currently lacking in the service.
“The skills we are looking for are those we don’t currently have in-house. Promotions within the service will continue to be conducted according to the Prisons Scheme of Service, and only for those who meet the qualifications,” he said.
He added that some officers had misinterpreted the internal advert and the one from the Public Service Commission (PSC), and have assumed that professional cadets would fill all Inspector-level vacancies.
Mr Arandu clarified that the externally advertised positions are only for nine professional cadres: psychiatrists, engineers, medical officers, pharmacists, dentists, physical planners, quantity surveyors, architects and counselling psychologists.
“The internal promotions target officers who have risen through the ranks and qualified for general duties under the Prisons Scheme of Service,” he said.
The Prisons boss encouraged officers in lower ranks who possess the required qualifications for professional cadet positions to apply.
“Nothing stops warders from applying if they meet the qualifications. I want to assure them that there will be no room for corruption or discrimination. The recruitment exercise will be rigorous, transparent, and competitive,” Mr Arandu said.
