New digital police recruitment system ready for roll out - NPSC

The National Police Service Commission has officially announced that a Police Recruitment System (PRS) that will serve as a centralised digital platform designed to transform the police recruitment process is ready for roll out.

The commission said the system that will first be deployed this year in an upcoming recruitment drive will streamline every stage of recruitment from application submission, shortlisting, assessment, selection and appointment, ensuring real-time data validation, accountability and efficiency.

"This is in a bid to address challenges occasioned by the manual recruitment system, which entirely relies on physical applications, in-person assessments and paper-based record keeping," said Edwin Cheluget, the Commission's acting Chairperson.

While the manual approach has been the norm for decades, he said it has posed significant challenges, among them logistical inefficiencies, data inaccuracies, long processing times and susceptibility to malpractices such as nepotism and corruption.

"These challenges have not only increased administrative costs but also undermined public confidence in the recruitment process," he explained.

The PRS will limit human interactions, where only the shortlisted candidates will be engaged on the ground for other physical vetting and procedures.

While the system is ready, the recruitment date has, however, yet to be announced.

The Commission's CEO, Peter Lelei, said the date will be advertised once budget allocations are made by parliament.

Police interviews

At the same time, the Commission announced that interviews for 132 police officers in the rank of Chief Inspector, who successfully completed the Higher Training Course and Senior Training Course, have commenced and will continue for the next two weeks.

The officers underwent a rigorous six-month training conducted at the National Police Service training campuses in Kiganjo and Emali, which is designed to prepare officers for leadership roles in the National Police Service.

The candidates will be assessed on governance issues, financial management, communication skills, ethics, leadership and management and general police work. The Commission said it will also consider other criteria, including academic qualifications and discipline.

"In accordance with the National Police Service Commission (Promotions) Regulations, 2015, undergoing promotional training does not automatically entitle an officer to promotion. Instead, the training shall be considered alongside other requirements for the position in which promotion is desired. This ensures that promotions are based on a holistic evaluation of qualifications, merit, and other established criteria, not just on the completion of training. Officers must demonstrate competence and readiness to assume higher responsibilities," said the Acting Chairperson.

He, however, assured the candidates of the commission's commitment to a fair and transparent process and promotions based on merit and integrity.

The commission also expressed concern over the periodic spread of fake recruitment advertisements for police constables.

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"We caution members of the public from engaging with such fraudulent advertisements designed to mislead and exploit them. The Commission will only announce the official recruitment exercise through established and credible communication channels," it said.