KISUMU, Kenya Sept 18 – Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has assured Kenyans that the upcoming recruitment of police officers will be conducted transparently and fairly.
Speaking to journalists in Kisumu on Thursday, Murkomen said that clear guidelines for the recruitment process will be made public to ensure openness and accountability.
He confirmed that the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) is currently meeting to finalize the framework.
“I don’t want to pre-empt the outcome, but the NPSC will issue official directions as we move into the recruitment exercise,” he said.
Murkomen emphasized that the recruitment will strictly follow the law, ensuring that no qualified Kenyan is unfairly excluded.
He acknowledged that past exercises have been marred by corruption and favoritism, but pledged that this time will be different.
“We will not allow the recruitment process to go to the highest bidder. This exercise must be above board,” he affirmed.
He added that the Jukwaa La Usalama forum, which he is attending in Kisumu, provides a platform to address long-standing concerns about corruption within the National Police Service (NPS), particularly during recruitment.
“From the very beginning, we want to ensure that only deserving and qualified individuals are recruited, not those who have paid their way into the service,” he noted.
In a separate matter, Murkomen announced that a team of police officers has been dispatched to Homa Bay County to investigate the brutal killing of a secondary school girl in the Suba area.
“The Inspector General of Police has sent a specialized team to Homa Bay to thoroughly investigate this unfortunate incident,” he said.
Earlier this week, the body of the school girl was discovered in a thicket. She is believed to have been defiled before being killed, sparking outrage and calls for justice.
Murkomen condemned the rising cases of sexual and gender-based violence in the region and called for collective efforts to eradicate the vice.
“These cases are becoming increasingly common, and as a government, we are committed to addressing them decisively,” he said.
