A looming plan to enlist 10,000 police officers has been engulfed in confusion, with the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) and the National Police Service (NPS) locked in a contest over who should oversee the process of recruitment.
The rubbing stems from questions of mandate and regulator, after it emerged that the staffing funds were placed under the NPS instead of the commission, which the Constitution designates as the employer
The impasse bred sharper yesterday when the NPSC announced it would publish advertisements for the vacancies tomorrow, with recruits expected to begin training on November 17
Appearing on Tuesday before the National Assembly’s Administration and National Security Committee, commission chief executive officer Peter Leley explained that while they had sought Sh379 million for recurrent expenses in the 2025/26 financial year, only Sh75 million was set aside.
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“Notably, the budget for recruitment was directly allocated to the National Police Service, a position confirmed by the National Treasury in a letter dated June 10, 2025,” Leley told members of parliament.
This budgetary shortfall and misallocation severely undermine the commission’s ability to independently and effectively discharge its recruitment mandate,” he added.
For months, the two institutions have been unable to agree on how to carry out recruitment or manage the police payroll, despite presidential efforts to break the deadlock. Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja assured MPs that a consensus would soon be reached on the date and procedure.
Let me assure the country that the National Police Service and the commission work together. Very soon, we are going to carry out the recruitment,” Kanja said.
The NPSC delegation was led by chairperson Yuda Komora alongside commissioners, while the NPS was represented by IG Kanja, Deputy Inspector-Generals Eliud Lagat and Gilbert Masengeli, and Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin.
The team was required to outline measures aimed at ensuring integrity, inclusivity and public trust in the upcoming exercise. Leley stressed that the Constitution draws a clear line between the roles of the two agencies.
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“Article 246(3)(a) of the Constitution mandates the commission to recruit and appoint persons into the National Police Service,” he said.
“This covers the entire process: advertising vacancies, shortlisting, conducting background checks, appointing recruitment panels, accrediting independent observers, publishing successful candidates, and submitting a comprehensive recruitment report to the President and Parliament.”