NAIROBI, Kenya May 22 – A case has been lodged at the Employment and Labour Relations Court challenging the dismissal of 18 female police recruits from the National Police College Kiganjo over pregnancy claims.
The petition, filed by Peter Agoro and John Wangai, names the National Police Service Commission, the Inspector General of Police, and the Attorney General as respondents.
The petitioners argue that the recruits were unfairly and unlawfully removed from training after mandatory pregnancy screening conducted upon their admission to the police college.
Court documents indicate that the affected women were among nearly 10,000 recruits selected during the nationwide police recruitment exercise carried out in November 2025 and had already reported for basic police training at Kiganjo.
According to the suit, all female recruits underwent compulsory pregnancy tests after reporting to the institution, and the 18 who tested positive were immediately discontinued from the programme.
The petitioners maintain that the recruits were already pregnant before joining the training college and did not become pregnant while undergoing police training.
They argue that there is no existing law, gazetted regulation, or official policy that permits automatic dismissal of female recruits solely on the basis of pregnancy.
“The blanket application of pregnancy as an automatic disqualifier for female police recruits is discriminatory on its face,” the petition states.
The suit further claims that the decision unfairly targeted women because no comparable disciplinary or administrative action exists for male recruits facing similar medical or physiological conditions.
The petitioners accuse the respondents of failing to explore alternative measures such as postponing the recruits’ training, granting temporary leave, or allowing them to rejoin a future intake after childbirth and recovery.
The case cites several constitutional protections, including Articles 27, 28, 41, 43, and 47, which safeguard equality, human dignity, fair labour practices, reproductive health rights, and fair administrative action.
The petition also references Section 5 of the Employment Act, which prohibits discrimination based on sex or pregnancy in employment and recruitment processes.
Additionally, the applicants argue that the dismissals breach Kenya’s obligations under international agreements, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Maputo Protocol.
Among the orders being sought, the petitioners want the court to declare the dismissals unconstitutional and compel authorities to reinstate the recruits in the next available police training intake after delivery and postpartum recovery.
They are also asking the court to direct the police service to formulate and gazette a constitutional policy governing pregnancy during police recruitment and training.
Further, the petition seeks interim orders barring the dismissal of recruits on grounds of pregnancy until a lawful policy framework is established.
