High Court cancels police recruitment countrywide

NAIROBI, KENYA: The high court has nullified recruitment of over 10,000 police recruits and ordered the National Police Service Commission (IPOA) to conduct the exercise a fresh.

High court judge Isaac Lenaola granted the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) the orders it had sought to have the exercise nullified and bar the NPSC from issuing the recruits with appointment letters.

Lenaola held that the delegation by the NPSC to Sub-County Recruitment Committees to carry out the recruitment of police recruits on July 14, this year was illegal and contravened the constitution and the NPSC Act.

"I am satisfied that drastic action ought to be taken painful or unpopular as it may be. The action ought to be a lesson to the NPSC and other constitutional organs that the Constitution 2010 is alive and well," said Lenaola.

The judge stated that the the constitution will resist all attempts to subvert its purpose and will frown upon any attempt to invoke convenience as opposed to the letter and spirit of the constitution.

"In the instance case, NPSC failed itself, failed Kenyans, failed the recruits and failed the constitution and it must be told. The orders that are appropriate in the circumstances is an order quashing the recruitment exercise conducted on July 14 this year," said Lenaola.

The judge noted that the court was aware that with terrorist threats abounding in the country a strong police force was necessary and the court will not allow blatant breach of the constitution by a body created and obligated to uphold the same constitution.

Lenaola observed that repeat exercise may well be expensive but no facts were placed before the court to warrant any findings as to the hardship to be faced by the NPSC in carrying out a repeat exercise.