By Billy Mijungu
It is disheartening that a single slot for a Police or KDF officer can be sold for up to one million shillings. That means only the rich can afford to place their own, while qualified and deserving Kenyans are left out. This must change.
If Kenya is to be fair and professional in security recruitment, the process must be automated. Tests including psychometric, aptitude, and general intelligence should be conducted through an online portal with timed evaluations. This system would help identify the most capable candidates without human interference or manipulation.
Recruitment should be structured, data-driven, and transparent. The government can easily design a portal on the eCitizen platform dedicated to disciplined services recruitment. It should allow applicants to register, take their tests, and track progress. Once results are processed, the system can generate merit-based shortlists automatically, removing the temptation of bribery and favouritism.
Fitness verification should also be standardised. The government should establish accredited fitness centres in every county where candidates can earn a National Fitness Certificate. Just like a Certificate of Good Conduct, this document could be valid for a year and used across all recruitment drives. With such a system, young people can stay prepared, knowing that the opportunity will not depend on who they know or how much they can pay.
We can no longer trust recruitment to individuals who commercialise it for personal gain. Security service entry points have become cash cows for a privileged few, yet they are meant to serve the nation. To clean up the system, the government should borrow from models like the Kenya Youth Empowerment Programme and the ongoing NYOTA initiative, both of which have used technology to promote transparency and fairness at the intake level.
This reform must extend beyond the Police, KDF, and NYS to include the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs cadet recruitments. These positions have quietly become the preserve of a select class, eroding public trust in the fairness of public service appointments.
Kenya must act now. The integrity of our disciplined forces begins with how their members are recruited. Once technology is placed at the centre, recruitment can finally be fair, transparent, and truly national.
