Recruitment procedures of the Kenya police force: challenges and opportunities

Abstract

The study examined the recruitment procedures and practices of the Kenya Police Force, and sought to determine their consequences. Jolted by rapid and continuing developments in technology, changes in organization structure, legislation and patterns of crime, the Kenya Police Force sometimes seemed more disabled than enabled to fulfill its obligations due to having some dishonest and unprofessional officers in the system. In view of this, the study was aimed at documenting Police recruitment procedures and their consequences vis-a-vis the opportunities that would shape the image of the entire Police force. The study was carried out in thirteen research sites within Police Department across the entire country. Serving Police officers posted across the country were targeted for the study. Ten percent of the accessible population was used to identify 111 respondents. The population under study was further subjected to stratified random sampling. To capture variability of characteristics of population under study, three strata for Police Commanders (Gazetted officers), Members of the Inspectorate (middle level officers), and members of other ranks (Non- ' Commissioned officers) were created before 37 respondents from each stratum were identified From the study findings, it was established that there was insufficient information used in carrying out an effective recruitment exercise. The majority's view amongst Members of the Inspectorate and Non-Commissioned Officers was that recruiting officers were not competent enough for the exercise. However, while most Gazetted Officers found them to be competent, there were also many Gazetted Officers who perceived them to be incompetent. The majority view suggests Police Commanders' lack of independence in carrying out the recruiting exercises. Respondents' perceptions of whether Police officers understood and followed correct recruitment procedures show varied opinions. The majority of the Gazetted officers and Members of the Inspectorate were of the opinion that correct recruitment procedures were understood but never followed. However, the majority of Non-Commissioned Officers were of the view that Police officers did not understand and did not follow the correct recruitment procedures. The common consequences of the actual recruitment patterns of the past include poor service delivery, poor public relations, dissatisfaction amongst officers and increased corruption. Likewise, the majority of respondents from all categories of officers held the view that the Police Departments' resources were inadequate. From the study findings, we see that insufficient information undermines the success of the exercise of defining and attracting qualified personnel. Ineffectiveness in defining and attracting qualified personnel adversely affects the whole exercise and compromises its success. The inability of Police officers to effectively understand and follow correct recruitment procedures also hampers the success of the exercise. Likewise, the inadequacy of resources inhibits the implementation of proper recruitment procedures. Greater efficiency could be achieved if officers irrvolved in the recruitment were competently identified and Police commanders' independence secured from undue influence, especially from external forces. All forms of bias should be eliminated and proper sensitization of officers carried out by competent personnel. Police Department should have adequate resources for the recruitment exercise and should formulate modern and effective recruitment policies which could be used to govern the entire exercise.