NAIROBI, Kenya – The National Police Service (NPS) has postponed its long-awaited recruitment exercise after a court order temporarily blocked the process.
The exercise, which was scheduled to run from October 3 to 9, 2025, was expected to bring in 10,000 new police constables — the first such recruitment in four years.
In a statement issued on Thursday, NPS spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga said the suspension follows a directive from the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Petition No. E196 of 2025 (Harun Mwau v. Inspector General of Police, the National Police Service Commission & Others).
“The police recruitment exercise scheduled to commence on 3rd October 2025 has been postponed until further notice,” Nyaga announced.
PRESS STATEMENT : POSTPONEMENT OF POLICE RECRUITMENT EXERCISE
The NPS said it was working with the National Police Service Commission to explore legal options aimed at resuming the exercise as soon as possible.
“As a Service, we remain committed to upholding the rule of law and complying with court orders,” the statement added.
The planned recruitment was expected to boost the country’s police-to-population ratio and ease pressure on the overstretched service.
Kenya’s last major police recruitment drive took place in 2021, after which budgetary constraints and policy shifts stalled further hiring.
Thousands of young Kenyans had been preparing for the rigorous exercise, which traditionally attracts huge turnouts in counties across the country.
It remains unclear how long the suspension will last, with the court yet to give a new direction on the matter.
