Papers hinder taekwondo champ from joining Kenya Police

NAIROBI: Milka Akinyi is a professional taekwondo player with a black belt, second hand honours.

The highest rating for any Kenyan female in taekwondo so far. Like many other youths, Monday morning she headed to Nyayo National Stadium where recruitment for the police force was being done.

In a full track suit, her professional papers clutched under her armpits and with her athletic body, the 26-year-old was sure she would be picked to join the General Service Unit.

Ms Akinyi had all the qualities that satisfied the recruiting team led by Ali Abdi but upon scrutiny, the officers realised she lacked a Form Four certificate.

"Sorry. We can't help," Mr Abdi said to her as she broke down in tears.

Akinyi said upon her arrival from a continental assignment, she had been asked by a senior police officer to avail herself for recruitment when vacancies were announced.

"He told me they would absorb me into the force. I had told him of my academic shortcoming but he said my contribution to the nation was paramount," she said.

Abdi said there were no special cases maintaining that the minimum grade was a D+ with a D+ in English. He advised her to enroll in secondary school if she wanted to join the force.

But this might be so late. A candidate has to be in high school for four years. Akinyi would be 30 by the time she cleared and that would automatically disqualify her.