Keeping law and order, investigating crime, and supporting crime prevention are, in part, the responsibilities of the Kenya Police, listed in the Duties, Powers, and Privileges section of The Police Act that provides the legal principles of their service.
Any police force would operate with autonomy and discretion, the Kenyan police officers not being the exception, posing a unique environment with its own challenges because they spend most of their time dealing with vulnerability issues of a variety of criminal activities and supporting victims of crime.
But when policing is a calling, such problems should not discourage you from joining the National Police Service (NPS), as when you are constantly challenged but embracing and learning new skills, you become successful.
Police officers are also prohibited from joining trade unions because, really, how can people called to disperse union gatherings and picket lines during demos have a union themselves? “It is impossible to bargain collectively with the Government.”
But that shouldn’t discourage you, either. So, if you want to join the Kenya Police and serve in the NPS, then here is how to become one;
Kenya Police recruitment process
The National Police Service offers different ways of getting into Kenya Police. You can apply directly as cadets on higher ranks, as a volunteer civilian staff, or as specialist officers or join via the traditional entry route of going through the recruitment process held once every year – this is the most common entry scheme.
Police recruitment requirements
During the recruitment days of the Kenya Police, the National Police Service Commission (NPSC), which plays the human resource management function in the country’s policing service, seeks to recruit suitably qualified applicants to be trained as Police Constables.
These applicants must;
* Be a citizen of Kenya
* Hold a Kenya National Identity Card
* Have a high school minimum mean grade of D+ (D Plus) with a D+ (D Plus) and above in either English or Kiswahili languages in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary
Education (KCSE) examination or its equivalency diploma or degree from an examination body recognized in Kenya
* Be aged between 18 and 28 years
* Meet the requirements of Chapter Six of the Constitution on Leadership and Integrity to maintain discipline and carry out their job effectively and with a sense of purpose
* Applicants must be in good health both physically and mentally to perform the duties of a police officer once recruited and enlisted
* Have no criminal record or pending criminal charges
Applicant’s note
When the dates for Kenya Police Recruitment come, the National Police Service Commission usually announces to the public through advertisements in at least two daily newspapers of national circulation, online media, and other channels.
The call for applications contains, alongside the recruitment dates, a list of Constituency-based Recruitment Centers where the exercise will take place, the criteria for the recruitment, the application procedure, and the closing date for application seven days after the announcement.
Before going to your nearest recruitment center as part of the police hiring process in Kenya when the day reaches, note that, first, there is a form to sign and fill, which is obtainable at any police station, including Sub County Administration Police Commanders (SUBCOM) Offices, County Commissioners Offices, and Huduma Centres.
They are also available online, downloadable from police websites, www.nationalpolice.go.ke, www.npsc.go.ke, and www.dci.go.ke.
Carry the application form to your nearest recruitment center on the day of recruitment, and with you, have original copies of your National ID, birth certificate, academic certificates and testimonials, and a Police Clearance Certificate.
From the recruitment of police officers in 2024 onwards, after police reform taskforce recommendations, the new age limit to join the police service might be lifted from 18 to 24 years but reserved for minority groups, and the minimum KCSE grade from D Plus to C Minus, underrepresented groups or people from marginal areas excluded also.
How long is police training in Kenya?
After meeting all the age and academic qualification requirements to start your application to the National Police Service and passing security and background checks and health and fitness tests on the recruitment day to successfully become a police recruit, to be enlisted as a full police officer, and given a rank, you must undergo rigorous training program at Kenya Police Colleges which lasts nine months. However, there are considerations to raise it to one year or twelve months.
READ: Recruitment for the Kenya Police in 2024
