Bomet: The National Police Service Commission (NPSC) has intensified public engagement efforts in a bid to better national police service recruitment, promotion, and transfers in Kenya. During a major public participation forum at St. Bhakita Hall in Bomet town, members of the public had an opportunity to review and ventilate on the draft National Police Service Commission (Recruitment and Appointment) Regulations, 2025.
According to Kenya News Agency, the Bomet regional meeting was part of a countrywide exercise covering 17 regions, aimed at collecting views to help validate and improve on the proposed regulations. The regulations seek to overhaul how new officers join the National Police Service (NPS) and how serving officers advance within the ranks with the aim of bettering service delivery in the police service.
Central to these reforms is the planned rollout of the Police Recruitment System (PRS), a secure, digital platform designed to transform recruitment and eliminate loopholes that have in the past been exploited for corruption. According to NPSC, PRS will replace traditional face-to-face recruitment with a secure, role-based access system supported by real-time audit trails.
'We believe that an accountable and professional police service begins with how officers are recruited and promoted. Public participation is central to ensuring that recruitment, transfers, and promotions reflect the values and expectations of the people we serve,' the NPSC said in a statement.
The Commission further invites stakeholders including members of the public, government institutions, professional bodies, and civil society organizations to submit feedback either in writing or by attending the scheduled forums. NPSC says the inclusive approach will help create a framework that guarantees transparency, accountability, and merit-based recruit selection.
In Bomet, participants welcomed the reforms, with many praising the shift to a digital process, saying it will curb the reported high rate of corruption that bedevils the current police recruitment exercise. 'This new process is a step in the right direction. If done well, it will curb the high rate of bribery and favoritism that has tainted recruitment exercises in the past. Eliminating face-to-face interactions and replacing them with secure, trackable systems is a game changer for transparency,' said Joseph Korir, one of the attendees.
The NPSC's digital recruitment plan also supports the government's Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), specifically under the Digital Superhighway and Creative Economy pillar. It further aligns with the recommendations of the Maraga Taskforce on Police Reforms, which emphasized modernization and integrity in law enforcement processes.
By leveraging technology, the Commission hopes to not only close corruption loopholes but also speed up the recruitment process, ensure equal opportunity for all applicants, and build public trust in the service. The Bomet forum is one of several taking place this month, with the Commission set to compile all feedback before finalizing and gazetting the regulations later this year.