IG Hilary Mutyambai cautions against bribery in police recruitment

Police recruits undergoing a physical fitness test at Moi Stadium, Kisumu, February 22, 2021. [Denish Ochieng, Standard]

Inspector-General of Police Hilary Mutyambai has warned candidates seeking to join the National Police Service (NPS) not to engage in corruption.

At the same time, any officer involved in the recruitment exercise found to be engaging in malpractice will be disciplined, NPS Spokesman Bruno Shioso has said.

The countrywide recruitment of 5,000 police constables starts today.

“We will have very high-level oversight of the exercise in order to guarantee the integrity of the process," Shioso told The Standard on phone.

Recruits are required to, among other things, have attained a minimum grade of D plus in their secondary education.

They are also required to be between 19 years and 28 years.

The exercise today will focus on non-graduate candidates.

The idea of locking out the graduates is to ensure the commission resolves an impasse of graduates who end up seeking higher salaries while still serving in the lower ranks.

Graduate police officers have been battling their employer in court over their salaries.

NPS has since instituted new measures to guide the issue of graduate officers.

This year, graduate police officers have been excluded from the list of those being considered for promotions.

In a letter dated January 6, Deputy Inspector General of Police Edward Mbugua said graduate police officers will not be allowed to take part in this year’s promotion course at the Police Training College in Kiganjo.

Shioso said the graduates were not being targeted as the decision was only aimed at harmonising promotions in the police service.