The police recruitment exercise, which was set to begin tomorrow, has hit a snag after the National Police Service postponed it following an order by the Employment and Labour Relations Court suspending the process

In a press statement, NPS spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga said the Service, together with the National Police Service Commission (NPSC), will respect the court’s decision while seeking legal remedies.

“The police recruitment exercise scheduled to commence on 3rd October 2025 has been postponed until further notice. As a Service, we remain committed to upholding the rule of law and complying with court orders,” he said.

The suspension followed a ruling by Lady Justice Hellen Wasilwa, who issued temporary orders stopping the exercise until a petition challenging its legality is determined. The recruitment drive had aimed to enlist 10,000 new police officers across all counties.

The petition was filed by former legislator John Harun Mwau, who argues that the National Police Service Commission went beyond its mandate by taking over recruitment duties that should rest with the Police Service under the command of the Inspector General.

In his application, he contends that the Commission should only handle civilian staff within the Service, while the recruitment of uniformed officers is the responsibility of the Police Service itself. He also faults the advertisement published on September 19 and the accompanying recruitment and appointment regulations, saying they were issued without proper authority.

Mwau further warned that allowing the exercise to proceed could expose thousands of applicants to an invalid process, potentially causing them harm if the recruitment were later declared unlawful.

The case will be mentioned again on October 21, 2025, for further directions. Until then, the recruitment exercise remains suspended.