The National Police Service (NPS) is set to undertake the recruitment of cadet officers this year.
Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo revealed that the exercise would be carried out in the second half of 2025.
The recruitment would come two years into the last one. Omollo said the recruitment would be an implementation of one of the recommendations by the Chief Justice Emeritus David Maraga-led National Taskforce on Police Reforms.
The PS stated that the recruitment had been paused due to financial constraints.
"We are in the process of bringing in reforms into our police service, and key among them is the reintroduction of the hiring of cadet officers so that not everybody who joins the rank and file of the national police must join at the same level," the PS said.
Over the years, the ratio of police to civilians has been on a serious decline, exposing the citizenry to existential security threats.
Despite the shortage of officers, Kenya committed to contributing to the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti.
President William Ruto committed to deploying 600 more police officers to complement the 383 already on the ground.
The first batch of the additional cohort, comprising 300 officers, landed in Haiti in October 2024, with the remaining 300 arriving before the end of November.
Speaking at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2024, Ruto observed that the mission's main challenge was the inadequacy of funds and equipment.
He called on international partners to intervene and offer the necessary support.
The mission aims at stationing 2,500 officers by January 2025 to restore peace and order in the country.
