Police recruits with lower grades ‘work harder’, says spokesman

Police Spokesperson Charles Owino. [Collins Kweyu, Standard]

The reason why police recruits are not required to attain high grades is that academic excellence is not a direct reflection of intelligence.

Speaking on a local television station on Wednesday, Police Spokesperson Charles Owino said recruits who attained lower grades work harder.

The requirement for the recruits is usually grade C and below.

Owino said those with higher grades come into the workforce with “unrealistic demands”.

He added that the recruiters look for intelligence, not academic excellence.

The unrealistic demands, Owino explained, are such as recruits with high grades going back to school then returning to the workforce and asking for promotions.

“For every nine police officers, we may only have one corporal and one inspector. You cannot promote everyone to those levels.”

But he adds that this does not mean those with lower grades will not be promoted. Owino explained that after attaining the required experience, the officers will eventually be promoted to sergeants and corporals.

“Intelligence is not merely meted on the grade,” Owino said, adding that those who work hard will be promoted on merit.

Last week, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said the qualification for recruitment into the police service should be raised from D+.

Matiang’i questioned the service's capacity to deal with emerging crimes, saying Kiganjo Police Training College graduates were no match for tech-savvy criminals.