NAIROBI, Kenya May 27-Members of Parliament have raised concerns on plans to recruit police officers through a digital system.
They warned that this move could shut out thousands of qualified young people, especially those from poor or remote areas who do not have access to the internet.
MPs from the National Assembly Committee on Administration and Internal Security raised concerns that using an online system alone is unfair and may not reflect the social and economic differences across the country.
Earlier, the National Police Service (NPS) and the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) reported that 4,569 officers have left the service since the last recruitment in 2022.
These included over 1,200 deaths, 326 resignations, and nearly 2,600 retirements.
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja told the MPs that the shortage of officers is already putting a strain on security operations, especially as the country prepares for the 2027 general election.
He said the police service needs to hire 10,000 new officers, but only Sh2.9 billion has been allocated by Parliament, far below the Sh6.3 billion required to recruit and train them. Recruitment is scheduled to begin in June.
Saku MP Diddo Rasso, who is also the Vice Chair of the committee, strongly opposed the digital plan.
He said it would lock out youth from arid and semi-arid areas who often have no access to reliable internet.
“We don’t need to go in circles. Let’s deal with corruption directly. How can we build a disciplined force when some youth don’t even get the chance to apply?” said Rasso. “As a leader of the Pastoralist Parliamentary Group, I cannot support this. Maybe we can consider it in the future when the whole country has developed. Where did you even get this idea from?”
Sotik MP Francis Sigei also criticized the plan, saying police recruitment is a sensitive and emotional matter, especially for poor families.
“This is not just any job. Many young people apply not because they want to but because they need to. Unemployment is very high,” he said.
“You can’t just lecture us on solutions when many regions lack basic services. Let’s be realistic. Recruitment is next month, and we can’t afford to mess this up.”
Loima MP Protus Akujah, who comes from a border area, added that police presence in such regions is already low.
Moving the process online, he warned, would leave these communities even more isolated.
“In some areas, we don’t feel the presence of police at all.And now you want to use digital systems in areas with no internet? Others will apply on behalf of local youth. How will you ensure the process is fair?”he posed.
The MPs also questioned whether the police had done enough to raise public awareness about the new system and whether there would be a proper way for people to report issues.
They suggested setting up a complaints desk to handle problems during the recruitment.
Inspector General Kanja defended the digital plan. He said it is meant to fight corruption, which has long been a problem in police recruitment.
“We’ve said it clearly no more corruption in the police service,” said Kanja.
“I joined the force with only Sh30 for fare. No bribe, no backdoor. That’s the kind of system we want to return to. That’s why we’ve involved EACC and DCI to help monitor the process.”
NPSC CEO Peter Lelei supported Kanja, saying the old recruitment system was full of bribery and favoritism.
“It’s been a national shame. People are asked to pay huge sums just to be considered,” Lelei said. “This new system is our strongest attempt yet to clean up the process. If we don’t fix it now, nothing will ever change.”
