The High Court’s decision to suspend the recruitment of 10,000 police officers has left thousands of Kenyan applicants in limbo as the legal dispute unfolds.
Kenya’s plan to hire 10,000 new police officers has been thrown into uncertainty following a High Court suspension of the recruitment exercise.
On Monday, November 10, 2025, Justice Bahati Mwamuye issued conservatory orders halting the process pending the outcome of a constitutional petition filed by activist Eliud Matindi. The activist questioned the legality and transparency of the exercise announced by Inspector General Douglas Kanja earlier in the month.
The court ruled that no recruitment, planning, or implementation activities should proceed until the petition is heard and determined. The petitioner has until November 12 to serve all respondents, including the NPS and the Attorney General.
Justice Mwamuye warned that defying the court order would attract penal consequences, stressing that constitutional principles must be upheld in public recruitment.
This latest order comes just weeks after a separate court ruling stripped the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) of powers to recruit officers, granting full authority to the National Police Service.
The now-suspended exercise had outlined several eligibility criteria, including a minimum KCSE grade of D+, Kenyan citizenship, and physical and medical fitness. Female candidates were also required not to be pregnant during recruitment or training.
The court’s intervention has created anxiety among applicants, many of whom had already begun preparations for the November 17 recruitment. The fate of the exercise now depends on the court’s final determination in the coming weeks.
