As tens of thousands of Kenyans lined up for a national police recruitment drive this week, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) released a damning report exposing deep-rooted corruption in how police officers are recruited.

An audit carried out between February and June 2025 found evidence of bribery, political interference, and outdated manual systems undermining recruitment for constables, cadets, specialist units and civilian staff. 

Where the System Fails

According to the report, recruitment adverts are often skewed, selection criteria vary wildly, and there is no proper complaint mechanism — creating fertile ground for corruption. Other irregularities identified include:

• Cadet hiring: In 2021, serving graduate officers were allegedly excluded so that candidates without experience could be brought straight from the public. 

• Specialist roles in DCI: No clear standards exist for critical units like cybercrime and forensics, leading to favouritism.

• Sports and arts quotas: There’s no structured way to choose recruits with such talent, making the selection opaque and inconsistent. 

• Civilian staff: In some cases, recruits have had their job offers downgraded soon after quitting other jobs, costing them money and credibility. 

• Onboarding gaps: About 1,000 newly hired civilian staff in January went to their stations without proper induction. 

• Deployment misuse: Some staff, like accountants, were sent to locations where their skills weren’t needed — a sign that staffing wasn’t based on real need. 

EACC also highlighted that there is no formal human-resource policy for civilian staff, allowing management decisions to be made at will.

Calls for Change

To fix the system, the report urges:

• A human-resource manual for both uniformed and civilian staff to standardise hiring and deployment. 

• Complaint-handling desks at all recruitment centres. 

• Full automation of recruitment to close loopholes.

EACC Chair David Oginde stressed the need for an “Implementation Matrix” to guide reform, saying that without real change, the police force risks losing public trust entirely.

Broader Corruption Risks

The report also shed light on other problematic practices within the National Police Service (NPS), including:

• Understaffing in Internal Affairs: Only 74 officers are in the unit, well below the recommended 1,168.

• Traffic department extortion: Junior officers allegedly collect “protection fees,” with senior officers benefiting.

• Unfair transfers: Some officers were reassigned without proper approval. 

• Patchy induction training: Many APS officers integrated into KPS have not passed through the expected courses. 

Reactions & Stakes

EACC CEO Abdi A. Mohamud has warned the public against paying bribes for police recruitment, calling out both “facilitators” and candidates who may fall prey to them. 

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen echoed the sentiment, urging communities to monitor recruitment centres and report corruption, saying any officer caught brokering bribes would face arrest. 

Why It Matters

This scrutiny comes at a critical time as Kenya seeks to recruit 10,000 new constables, placing public trust under the spotlight. If unchecked, corruption could undermine not just the calibre of recruits — but the legitimacy of the police service itself.

The EACC’s report is a stark warning: without deep reform, corruption may continue to erode the institution meant to uphold the law.