It is only one recruitment centre in Westland within Nairobi County where female recruits were taken at 35.71 percent, the highest in the country/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 6 – The National Police Service Commission (NPSC) has been accused of failing to adhere to the constitutional requirements during the latest recruitment of 10,000 police officers.
A report by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights titled ‘Disservice to the Service’ specifically indicates that the two third gender rule was blatantly ignored, with areas like the Dadaab recruitment centre failing to pick even a single woman.
It is only one recruitment centre in Westland within Nairobi County where female recruits were taken at 35.71 percent, the highest in the country.
Kenya National Commission on Human rights Commissioner Suzanne Chivusia says several of their 120 observers were also denied access, which she says it only indicates that the National Police Service is not yet ready to embrace the culture of transparency and accountability.
“KNCHR has continued to face challenges in gaining access to recruitment centers despite its statutory mandate of providing oversight to national security organs,” she complained.
The report also indicates that the NPSC consistently advertised for the positions on Easter Weekends, a move Chivusia says limits the number of public who see, prepare and apply for the same.
The recruitment according to the report was also marred by cases of corruption with allegations of former police collaborating with the recruits to pass the required bribes to the members of the recruitment panels such as AT Rongo District headquarters.
“The process towards reforming the police ought to begin with the admission into the police at recruitment,” the report points out. “The commission remains particularly concerned that despite the existence of recruitment and appointment regulations, these have not been followed to the letter.”
It is only through these regulations, the commission Secretary Patricia Nyaundi said that it will be possible to cure, “some of the challenges being highlighted in this report such as gender considerations, ethnic considerations, over emphasis on physical aptitude at the expense of other criteria, numbers required among other issues.”
KNCHR now wants the Inspector General of Police and the National Police Service Commission to make public the final list of successful recruits from each of the centers ,” in the spirit of transparency and accountability.”
The IG, the report further recommends should furnish the human rights commission with a list of the recruits at each centre and a list of those admitted at the police training colleges.
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