The Court Order and Its Immediate Effect
The recruitment of 10,000 police constables, which was scheduled to run from October 3 to October 9, 2025, across 416 recruitment centres nationwide, has been halted . The official advertisement for these positions was published on September 19, 2025 .
- What Happened: On October 2, 2025, Lady Justice Hellen Wasilwa of the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nairobi issued interim conservatory orders, suspending the entire recruitment process . The petition that led to this order was filed by former Kilome MP, John Harun Mwau .
- Official Postponement: The National Police Service (NPS) swiftly complied with the court order, announcing the postponement in an official statement on the same day. The NPS confirmed the exercise was "postponed until further notice" .
- Legal Grounds: The petitioner, Harun Mwau, argued that the recruitment was unconstitutional as it was being carried out by the National Police Service Commission (NPSC), which he contends is not a security organ as defined by the constitution .
🔍 A Deeper Conflict Behind the Postponement
While the court order was the direct cause, the postponement is a symptom of a long-standing, deeper institutional conflict. The search results reveal a significant power struggle over the control of police recruitment.
The table below summarizes the two main factions involved in this dispute:
FactionKey RepresentativesStated Position on RecruitmentThe Police Camp | Inspector General Douglas Kanja, his deputies, and the Director of Criminal Investigations | Believes recruitment should be conducted by the National Police Service (NPS), not the NPSC .
The NPSC Civilian Camp | NPSC Chairperson Dr. Amani Komora, Vice-Chairperson Collette Suda, and other civilian commissioners | Maintains that recruitment and other human resource functions are core functions of the commission .
The NPSC Civilian Camp | NPSC Chairperson Dr. Amani Komora, Vice-Chairperson Collette Suda, and other civilian commissioners | Maintains that recruitment and other human resource functions are core functions of the commission .
This conflict has played out over several weeks. Despite a last-minute "cosmetic truce" on September 9 and a joint public briefing on October 1 where both sides pledged a "transparent and credible" process, the underlying disagreements remained unresolved . The dispute even extended to control over the police payroll, with the National Treasury recently rejecting the NPSC's request to take control, siding with the police camp .
🗓️ What Happens Next?
The immediate future of the recruitment drive now rests in the hands of the court.
- Next Court Date: The case is scheduled for mention on October 21, 2025 . On this date, the court will confirm if all parties have filed their responses and submissions .
- Official Response: The National Police Service and the NPSC have stated they are "actively pursuing appropriate legal remedies to ensure the recruitment exercise can resume at the earliest opportunity" . This indicates they will be challenging the petition in court.
- Impact on Applicants: The postponement has been a major setback for thousands of hopeful applicants across the country who had already invested time and resources to travel to recruitment centres . They will now have to wait for the legal process to conclude.
