IG of police Douglas Kanja
By IP reporter
Intellectualspost | Sept. 17, 2025
Nairobi,Kenya
The recruitment of over 10,000 officers hangs in the balance after high-stakes talks between the National Public Service (NPS) and the National Public Service Commission (NPSC) collapsed without a resolution sparking concern among thousands of job seekers.
The meeting, held Tuesday, was aimed at resolving procedural deadlocks that have plagued the hiring process for months.
Instead, it ended in a stalemate with both bodies failing to chart a clear path forward on critical issues such as candidate screening, verification and final selection protocols.
While a full agreement on the recruitment framework remained elusive both entities agreed to abandon online applications in favor of a traditional physical exercise.
The decision to scrap the digital process is seen as a concession to mounting complaints over accessibility, system failures and fraud concerns.
“There’s no doubt that the process has been chaotic,” said a senior NPSC official, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We’re trying to restore public trust by taking it offline, but that doesn’t solve the deeper institutional gridlock.”
The standoff has already triggered anxiety across the country with applicants expressing frustration over the lack of transparency and clarity in the recruitment timeline.
Advocacy groups have warned that the impasse could disenfranchise thousands of qualified candidates and erode public confidence in national institutions.
As of Wednesday, no new date has been set for the continuation of talks.
Meanwhile, observers fear that unless decisive action is taken the long-awaited officer recruitment drive may grind to a halt indefinitely.
