Police Mungiki recruits expelled

Nearly half of the 5,000 NYS recruits absorbed into the police force have been sent home. Officials said on Sunday about 1,500 of them remained at the Gilgil NYS training college for a crash programme before being absorbed into the police force. The more than 2,500 recruits who were sent home are unfit to join the force, trainers said. This means the targeted number of the recruits has not been achieved.

NYS officials recruited the candidates before handing them over to trainers from the Kenya Police and Administration Police for further scrutiny. And after thorough scrutiny, it was found that most of the recruits had not met the requirements. "The issue became so hot that some senior officers almost fought here," said an insider.

Several candidates who had been taken to the college and later sent home visited our newsroom to protest against their expulsion. Some were kicked out for being short, forging documents, not meeting the educational requirements, and being too old —among other issues. For the first time, police absorbed NYS recruits in what was seen as part of measures to counter the post-election violence. Police headquarters moved to clarify the criteria to be used in recruiting the personnel following complaints of favouritism.

Police spokesman, Eric Kiraithe, said successful candidates must have a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education, be above 18 and have the required height. "We will not absorb unqualified persons and the rules of recruitment will be followed by ensuring there is proper population balance," said Kiraithe. He said street children who had graduated from NYS but did not meet the requirement would be locked out. More than 1,000 former street children were admitted to the NYS and later graduated with various honours. They have since complained that they were being locked out of the exercise.

The Government approved the recruitment of the first batch of 5,000 officers by allocating funds to convert the NYS graduands before they are deployed. The plan, according to police, is part of the 2004-2008 Police Strategic Plan that recommends that the population of the police be increased.

The annual recruitment of police officers will continue later in the year.