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Police to Recruit 5,000 Officers
From NYS
The Nation (Nairobi)
15 February 2008
Fred Mukinda
Nairobi
The Government has announced plans to recruit 5,000 National Youth
Service (NYS) graduates into the Police Force.
The recruitment, scheduled to start next month is geared towards
reducing the police to population ratio, currently at 1:1000
against the global standard of 1:400.
After recruitment, they will be inducted into the force within
five months. The induction period is four months less than the
period for the normal programme.
The plan to recruit NYS graduates had been floated and documented
in the Police Strategic Plan 2004-2008, but the implementation had
been shelved.
The recent post-poll violence, which saw the police overstretched,
and in some instances overwhelmed by rioting crowds, prompted the
adoption of the shelved plan.
Crash programme
Plans are currently on course to ensure Treasury releases funds
needed for the exercise, which will be implemented as a "crash
programme."
The recruitment will not interfere with the normal police
enlisting done once every year. An average of 3,000 recruits join
police training every year under the ordinary programme. While the
NYS programme is aimed at reducing the police to population ratio,
the normal recruitment is aimed at replacing officers who leave
active police service through retirement, death or those dismissed.
Details of the NYS recruits training programme are still being
worked on.
However, it is expected the recruits will be exempted from some
courses in the police curriculum.
Speaking to journalist at Vigilance House, spokesman Eric Kiraithe
said: "Arrangements for the Kenya Police and the Administration
Police to recruit from NYS trainees and graduates are at an
advanced stage."
The Government is targeting graduates who have passed through the
NYS from 2005 to date.
Mr Kiraithe said the recruitment will be balanced, drawing
candidates from all parts of the country.
The crash training programmes will be run at NYS training schools
to ensure facilities at the police training college at Kiganjo are
not overstretched.
Successful candidates will be deployed to all police formations,
including the General Service Unit after training.
NYS officials are regularly called to do police duties, most
recently having been deployed to polling centres as special police
officers.
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