Kenyan University Graduates Blocked from Joining the Police Service

The National Police Service Commission (NPSC) has locked out degree holders from the upcoming police recruitment exercise.

The Commission said degree holders will not be allowed to participate in the exercise in order to avoid a repeat of a pay dispute previously witnessed with graduate police officers.

“In the adverts placed in various media platforms, we have indicated that we are recruiting police constables with minimum qualifications of D+ in their KSCE exam and it remains such,” NPSC official John Ole Moyaki said on Wednesday.

“There is a particular group for the advertised positions. We are advising those with degrees to wait for other positions to avoid labor issues.”

Moyaki, who spoke during a sensitization exercise in Kabarnet, Baringo County, urged university graduates to pursue other opportunities to avoid frustration.

“We are not discouraging graduates from joining the police service, but there are better opportunities and higher job groups that would suit them, apart from the police. It would be ideal for potential recruits to adhere to the requirements set out in our advertisement,” he said.

The service is seeking to recruit 5,000 new constables in the recruitment exercise that kicks off on Thursday.

A pay dispute arose last year after over 1,000 graduate police officers protested a move to slash their salaries. This was after the police inspectors, who are under job Group J, received Group F salaries which are meant for constables. The officers said their November salaries had been cut by Sh30,000.

While directing the cutting of their salaries, Inspector-General of Police Hillary Mutyambai argued that the move was aimed at ensuring fairness in the police service.