The national police recruitment scheduled for Monday is now expected to proceed after the High Court on Friday afternoon temporarily lifted the conservatory orders that had halted the process earlier in the week.
Justice Bahati Mwamuye suspended the orders issued on November 10, 2025, effectively reinstating the position that existed before the recruitment was stopped. The directive immediately clears the uncertainty that had clouded the nationwide intake following a legal challenge by activist Eliud Matindi.
The judge’s latest order means the police recruitment exercise—initially thrown into confusion due to a dispute over who holds the legitimate mandate to conduct the process—can now continue as planned. Agencies involved in coordinating the intake, including security officials across the 422 recruitment centres, are now expected to resume preparations for Monday’s exercise.
Court Directs Fresh Filings Ahead of Case Management
In the ruling, Justice Mwamuye directed the 1st Interested Party to serve its application and the stay orders on all respondents and file an affidavit of service. The matter has been scheduled for a case management session on November 17, 2025, where parties are expected to update the court on compliance and prepare for further directions.
The legal battle stems from a petition filed by activist Matindi, who challenged the legality of the recruitment exercise being spearheaded by the Inspector General of Police (IG). On Monday, the court had temporarily stopped the exercise pending the hearing of the petition.
Battle Over Recruitment Mandate
At the centre of the dispute is a constitutional and statutory question: Who is legally empowered to recruit police officers—the National Police Service (NPS) under the Inspector General, or the National Police Service Commission (NPSC)?
Matindi argues that under Article 246(3)(a) of the Constitution, the NPSC—not the IG—holds the exclusive authority to recruit and appoint persons into the National Police Service. He further contends that the IG can only conduct recruitment if formally delegated to do so by the Commission, as provided under Section 10(2) of the NPSC Act.
The recruitment saga began earlier in the year when the NPSC, on September 5, 2025, announced plans to hire 10,000 police constables, citing its constitutional mandate. However, that exercise was suspended on October 2, 2025, following a court order in a separate case, Harun Mwau v. Inspector General of Police & Others (Petition No. E196 of 2025).
Following the suspension, the Inspector General published a fresh advertisement on November 4, 2025, announcing a new national recruitment drive set for November 17 across 422 centres.
Court Rulings Deepen Institutional Tensions
On October 30, the High Court declared the NPSC advertisement unconstitutional, ruling that the mandate to conduct recruitment lies with the National Police Service. This ruling emboldened the IG to issue the new advertisement, prompting Matindi’s petition, which now challenges the IG’s authority on a separate legal basis.
The High Court’s latest move to temporarily lift the stop orders enables the disputed exercise to proceed even as the constitutional questions remain unresolved.
Next Steps
As the matter awaits mention on November 17, the police service, NPSC, and other stakeholders remain locked in a complex legal and administrative battle over the recruitment mandate—a dispute that continues to expose long-standing tensions between the two institutions.
For now, however, prospective officers across the country can prepare to report to their designated recruitment centres on Monday, as the High Court’s interim orders clear the way for the exercise to continue.
