The High Court has temporarily blocked the police recruitment exercise scheduled for November 17, 2025, as advertised by Inspector General of the National Police Service (IG) Douglas Kanja on November 4, 2025.

The conservatory order follows a petition filed at the Milimani Constitutional and Human Rights Division by London-based activist Eliud Matindi, seeking to bar the exercise.

In his application, Matindi argues that the IG has no constitutional powers to recruit police officers into the National Police Service (NPS), stating that it is the mandate of the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) to carry out recruitment.

“It is the petitioner’s case that the 1st respondent (IG) does not have any constitutional or statutory authority to recruit police constables into NPS. The function has constitutionally been delegated to the 2nd respondent (NPSC),” Matindi states in his application.

The petitioner further asserts that the recruitment exercise announced and planned by IG Kanja on behalf of NPS is unconstitutional, null, and void.

Before it was temporarily blocked by the court, Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen had issued a directive ahead of the recruitment.

On Monday, November 10, 2025, Justice Bahati Mwamuye granted the petitioner the conservatory orders sought, pending the hearing and determination of the application.

“Pending the hearing and determination of the petitioner’s notice of motion application dated November 6, 2025, a conservatory order is hereby issued suspending the notice of recruitment of police officers issued on November 4, 2025, by the first respondent (IG),” Justice Mwamuye ordered.

“Pending the inter partes hearing and determination of the petitioner’s notice of motion application, a conservatory order is hereby issued staying the operation, application, implementation, and further operations of the notice of recruitment of police constables issued on November 4, 2025, by the first respondent (IG),” the judge added.

The matter is set for mention on January 26, 2026, for further directions.