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Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has detailed changes that will be implemented in the upcoming police recruitment exercise.
Addressing community leaders in West Pokot county, the CS explained that the newly-introduced rules will not only ensure fairness, but will also eliminate corruption and restore public trust in the process.
The changes cut across several stages of the recruitment process with the inclusion of new stakeholders and come with a longer recruitment period.
Malpractices late in the evening or in the cover of darkness
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To minimise opportunities for malpractices that often occur in the dark according to Murkomen, all recruitment activities must end by 4pm.
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He shared past concerns raised of successful candidates being shortchanged by corrupt elements without being given any clear explanation on why they are being kicked out or being asked for bribes disguised a âmedical lettersâ.
File image of President William Ruto inspecting a guard of honour mounted by the police
Tunataka next recruitment iishe saa kumiâŠgiza ikiingia na mnaambiwa sasa ni medical, maneno inatokea. Unaambiwa hakuna barua, na kumbe hiyo barua ni elfu mia tano au mia sita.
Changes on where medical tests is conducted
Murkomen also note that the practice of medical tests being conducted at the recruitment venue has been presenting opportunities for malpractices with those involved milking money in form of bribes from applicants.
Moving forward, tests will be conducted at the police training school where those conducting them are not in direct contact with applicants.
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This will not only reduce the temptation for those involved in the exercise to ask for bribes, but will also ensure fairness.
Independent observers to ensure fairness
Independent observers will also be included in police recruitment exercises to verify the results and ensure fairness.
Religious leaders, civil society, and community representatives will be deployed at every recruitment center to monitor every stage of the process and verify the results.
Having observers will curb the manipulation of results with successful candidates being replaced by others.
Tukisema tunataka observers, tunataka kuona bishop hapo, civil society na representatives wa jamii. Wao wataona huyu kijana amekimbia vizuri na amekuwa number one, huyu amepita.
At the end of the exercise, the names of the successful applicants will be posted at every recruitment center to ensure privacy.
Recruitment spread out across several days
The recruitment will also be spread out in several days, marking a significant shift from the current practice to a gradual and more open process that will give applicants a fair chance to make it and eliminate the rush during which malpractices thrive with money changing hands.
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"We will do the recruitment this time over ten, twenty days â no problem... there's no rush this time so that people can get a fair share of those being recruited."
Prospects at a past police recruitment recruitment exercise
Police recruitment has in the past been a controversial exercise with claims of candidates paying hefty bribes and those unable to do so being kicked out of the process.