More Pain and Wait for Jobless Youths as Police Recruitment Postponed
admin 
Thousands of young Kenyans hoping to join the police service will now have to wait longer after the much-anticipated recruitment drive was postponed indefinitely. The exercise, which was set to begin on Friday, was halted by an Employment and Labour Relations Court ruling issued on October 2, 2025.
Lady Justice Hellen Wasilwa granted interim conservatory orders suspending the process following a petition filed on September 30. The orders mean recruitment will remain frozen until the court delivers a final judgment. Both the respondents and the petitioner were directed to file their submissions within seven days, with the case set for mention on October 21 to confirm compliance and highlight arguments.
Why was the police recruitment suspended?
In a statement released Thursday evening, National Police Service (NPS) Spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga confirmed the suspension. “In accordance with the Order of the Employment and Labour Relations Court, issued on 2nd October 2025 in Petition No. E196 of 2025 (Harun Mwau v. Inspector General of Police, the National Police Service Commission & 2 Others), the police recruitment exercise scheduled to commence on 3rd October 2025 has been postponed until further notice,” the statement read.
Nyaga added that the NPS, together with the National Police Service Commission (NPSC), is “actively pursuing appropriate legal remedies to ensure the recruitment exercise can resume at the earliest opportunity.”
What was planned before the suspension?
The NPSC had announced the recruitment of 10,000 officers on September 19, following months of back-and-forth with the NPS. The nationwide exercise was expected to take place between October 3 and October 9 across 416 recruitment centers.
For many unemployed youths, this recruitment drive was seen as a chance to secure stable work and a livelihood. With the suspension now in place, their wait for employment in the police service continues, underscoring the uncertainty young job seekers face in Kenya’s competitive job market.
By Yockshard Enyendi
