Govt Explains Challenges in Recruiting 10,000 Police Officers

The National Police Service Commission (NPSC) has attributed delays in recruiting 10,000 new police officers to recent budget cuts, which have significantly affected their ability to expand the force.

While addressing the National Assembly Committee on Administration and Internal Security at County Hall, the commission urged lawmakers to allocate more funds to facilitate the recruitment process.

On Tuesday, February 25, NPSC representatives appeared before the committee to present the 2025 Budget Policy Statement (BPS), emphasizing the need for financial support.

Budget Cuts Affecting Police Recruitment

NPSC Commissioner John Ole Moyaki highlighted that the budget reductions had severely impacted efforts to improve the police-to-population ratio, which currently stands at 1:688—far below the ideal standard for maintaining security.

“The committee should consider allocating more funds to enable the recruitment of 10,000 new police officers and strengthen the National Police Service,” Moyaki urged MPs.

Earlier, the government had planned to recruit 2,862 officers as part of the larger 10,000-recruit target. However, the Ksh3.2 billion budget cut in the 2024/25 Supplementary Budget hindered the process.

Call for More Funding and Reforms

Also present at the meeting was NPSC CEO Peter Leley, who appealed for more support in implementing recommendations from the Maraga Police Reforms to strengthen the commission’s operations.

The commission also requested additional funding for several initiatives, including:

• Automating Human Resource Management processes to improve efficiency.
• Decentralizing Human Resource and Counselling Services for better service delivery.
• Enhancing the Staff House Mortgage Scheme to improve officers’ welfare.
• Acquiring more vehicles to boost operational capacity.

In January, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo had announced the government’s intention to recruit 10,000 new police officers before the end of the year. He noted that while the National Assembly had approved funds for 5,000 recruits, the government would negotiate with MPs to increase the number and meet the full target.

ICT CS William Kabogo’s Budget Faces Rejection

Meanwhile, ICT and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo suffered a setback after the Committee on Communication, Information, and Innovation (CII) rejected his ministry’s budget.

The committee directed the ministry to revise its figures and provide clear justifications for its allocations before resubmitting the proposal. MPs raised concerns over poor planning and inconsistencies in the ministry’s budget, including:

• Allocating Ksh350 million to refurbish the Directorate of Information HQ while failing to fund the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC) Eldoret branch.
• Allocating funds to the Kenya Yearbook Editorial Board, despite plans to scrap the agency.

The rejection means the ministry will have to restructure its budget and provide detailed plans to justify its funding requests before securing parliamentary approval.

Join Gen Z official Whatsapp Channel To Stay Updated On time the ongoing situation https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaWT5gSGufImU8R0DO30