Petition filed to stop planned recruitment of 10,000 police officers

The High Court has been asked to stop the planned recruitment of 10,000 police officers until a petition challenging the management of the National Police Service payroll is heard and determined.

Through lawyer Shadrack Wambui, the petitioners filed an urgent application seeking conservatory orders, arguing that the recruitment exercise is tied directly to the payroll system whose constitutional management is in dispute.

The petition, filed on 11th August 2025, raises questions on whether the custody and administration of the police payroll is an operational role of the Inspector General of Police or a human resource management function. The matter touches on Articles 245 and 246 of the Constitution.

On 13th August 2025, the court directed that the petition be served within three days and responses filed within seven.

According to the petitioners, despite affecting service on neither the respondents nor the interested parties have filed any replies, leaving the case unopposed.

The application warns that if the recruitment proceeds before the constitutional question is resolved, payroll entries for the 10,000 new recruits will be made under an authority whose mandate is contested. This, they argue, risks rendering the petition nugatory if the court ultimately rules in their favour.

The petitioners maintain that payroll administration is the “primary instrument” for implementing human resource decisions such as recruitment, promotions, transfers, suspensions, and disciplinary actions.

Any uncertainty over its control, they argue, has far-reaching implications on the functioning and stability of the service.

They further contend that the conservatory orders they seek are necessary to preserve the subject matter of the petition, safeguard institutional stability, and maintain public confidence in the country’s security organs.