Gov't seeks out-of-court deal to end police recruitment stalemate

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen says the National Police Service (NPS) and the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) will be seeking an out-of-court settlement to resolve the police recruitment deadlock that has caused the postponement of the exercise indefinitely following a court order.

The new NPSC Chairperson, Yuda Komora, who hosted CS Murkomen, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi during a thanksgiving ceremony in Tana River County, said the two bodies will collaborate to have Lady Justice Hellen Wasilwa suspend interim conservatory orders stopping the recruitment of 10,000 police officers, following an application filed on September 30, 2025, by Harun Mwau.

“We will engage together and ensure we are back on our earlier schedule on the recruitment process,” said Komora.

CS Murkomen, who warned that further delay of the police recruitment exercise could pose a threat to national security in the build-up to the 2027 General Election, said efforts have been made to ensure constructive dialogue between the NPS and the Commission to unlock the recruitment impasse.

“There is a case in court blocking the recruitment process. We will talk with the NPSC and the Inspector General to see how we can resolve that case so that recruitment can begin,” Murkomen said.

Komora further lauded efforts made to improve the welfare of police officers through the Jukwaa la Usalama security engagement forums conducted in all 47 counties.

“We must have the best interest of our policemen and women at heart through welfare,” Komora noted.

The NPSC advertised the recruitment of 10,000 police officers on September 19, 2025, following a long-standing standoff with the NPS.

The nationwide exercise was scheduled to run from October 3 to October 9, 2025, across 416 recruitment centres.