Why KNCHR wants university graduates recruited as police

Police recruitment exercise in Kisumu. (Photo: Courtesy)

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has raised concern on the continuous overemphasis on physical fitness as the primary criteria in joining the police force.

The commission says the trend has for long not only disadvantaged women from joining the force but also disregarded academic qualifications.

This is despite the emerging trends of cybercrimes-that KNCHR Chairperson Kagwiria Mbogori noted that recruitment requires intelligence-and the two thirds gender rule that has to be adhered within every aspect.

Ms Mbogori said it is a high time certain measures are put in the police recruitment requirements and made specific to university graduates.

The chair was speaking on Friday when the commission unveiled a report on the just concluded police recruitment exercise that was conducted in 292 centers in a bid to beef up the security force with 10,000 officers.

The monitoring exercise was done across 75 centres out of the 292.

The set grade for joining the force was set at D plus among other medical and physical tests.

"We are losing a lot through cyber crimes that target not only institutions but individuals. Such can be solved through heightened forensics which requires the expertise of scientists," said Mbogori.

According to the report, though there has been an improvement witnessed through reduction of corruption cases, the National Police Service (NPS) and National Police Service Commission (NPSC) are still disregarding critical sections of their own recruitment regulations.

The only corruption case reported being that of a General Service Unit officer found with Sh149,000 in South B, Nairobi's Police Pavillion.

Part of the concerns raised include poor or no provision of medical services during the drills which led to the exercise going up to as late as 10pm-as tests results were done in facilities located far.

It was also noted that in some cases, mobile toilets were customized to be clinics hence not fit enough to provide emergency services.

An unfortunate documented case is that of a 27 year old woman in Bungoma County who was pronounced dead on arrival at Webuye Sub County Hospital after fainting when outrunning her peers during the drill.

The report further revealed of how the ration of successful male recruits into the service was way higher than those of female.

Documented case studies include Takaba Primary in Mandera County where 27 male were recruited against one female; Siaya Stadium 30 male against two female; Kericho Green Stadium 24 against two and Kakuma Airstrip in Turkana County 32 against three.

"There is no activity like this that should be exempted from constitutional requirements. And recruiting one female against 18 male is below the required two thirds gender rule," said Mbogori.