IPOA to monitor police recruitment exercise

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority will monitor Thursday’s recruitment of 10,000 police recruits to ensure it is corruption free.

The authority wants the public to call 0741-423-191 and 0786- 824-426 to report any malpractices spotted. These numbers will be operational from 0600hrsto 2200hrs up to Saturday.

“The work of professionalizing the Police must start at the recruitment stage, IPOA will partner with the National Police Service Commission and the IGs office as an independent monitor to the recruitment process,” said the authority in a statement.

The authority said professionalism, accountability and transparency are attributes and practices that have to be inculcated and practiced by all actors from the point of recruitment of an officer all the way to their retirement.

“The manner in which officers are recruited is therefore a key component of policing which IPOA is keen to ensure is done transparently and in a manner that is accountable to the public.”

Spokesman Dennis Oketch said they will monitor the extent to which the National Police Service Commission (Recruitment and Appointment) Regulations, 2015 will be observed during the exercise.

Some 10,000 new recruits will be recruited for a nine-month training session at the Kenya Police Training College in Kiganjo and Administration Police Training College in Embakasi.

The prisons department too will recruit their 3,000 personnel on May 24. Both exercises are being done with an eye on elections.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has already said it requires 150,000 to manage the exercise.

The commission says it will train 150,000 police officers on election laws and security before the August polls.

The commission has mapped out hotspots in all the 47 counties to prepare for any risk of political violence. An American NGO, the National Democratic Institute, recently concluded in a report that pre- and post-election violence is a major concern for Kenyans.

This year’s election will take place nearly a decade after disputed election results fueled violence that left more than 1,000 people dead and 500,000 displaced. Police were largely blamed for most deaths.

Both Inspector General of police Joseph Boinnet and Commissioner General of prisons Isaiah Osugo said the exercise will take place between 8 am and 5 pm.

Boinnet said all the new 10,000 recruits will be bonded to work for 10 years. This is aimed at deterring the new team from leaving the service after graduating.

“Applicants recruited for the training into the service shall be bonded to serve in the National Police Service for a minimum of ten years,” he said.

Those eligible for recruitment must have scored a mean grade of D plus and D plus in English or Kiswahili and must be between 18 and 28 years.

The National Police Service Commission delegated to the IG to conduct the exercise. The exercise will take place at all 292 constituency headquarters.

Some of the recruits are likely to be deployed to cover the August 8 general elections.

This is likely to increase the police population to more than 120,000 and put pressure on their accommodation.

The recruitment exercise was among activities allocated Sh100 billion in the just read national budget. The money will also provide allocation for the harmonisation of public sector salaries and allowances.