- The National Police Service has responded to remarks by Senator Karen Nyamu about forged recruitment documents
- Nyamu, sponsored to the Senate by the ruling UDA party, described on radio how she helped a supporter attempt to join the police without proper qualifications
- The NPS says the case at Kiganjo Police Training College was among several flagged during recruitment, with strict verification protocols in place
The National Police Service (NPS) has condemned remarks attributed to nominated Senator Karen Nyamu after she publicly described assisting a supporter who used a forged certificate in an attempt to enlist as a police recruit.
Source: Twitter
In a statement Saturday, October 24, NPS spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga said the service was reviewing a video in which "a senior nominated politician" admitted knowledge of a supporter who used false documentation during a recruitment exercise.
Although the statement did not name Nyamu directly, the description aligns with comments she made during a Radio Generation interview Friday, October 23.
"The sentiments expressed in the video are both regrettable and unacceptable, particularly as they come from a lawmaker and legal counsel," the NPS said.
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Nyamu, who is seeking the Nairobi County woman representative seat on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket, was making an argument about academic qualifications acting as a barrier for many young Kenyans.
She suggested that a Form 4 certificate should be the minimum basic education qualification for Kenyans.
To illustrate her point, Nyamu recounted how a young person who had been campaigning for her lacked a Form 4 certificate, and she had to help them forge one.
According to her account, the unnamed individual made it as far as the Kiganjo Police Training College before being caught, along with 17 others, for submitting fraudulent papers.
All were disqualified and expelled.
The NPS confirmed that such a case had been flagged at Kiganjo and resulted in the expulsion of the recruits involved, but the statement did not specify whether criminal charges were brought against any of the individuals, nor did it indicate that Nyamu herself is under investigation.
The service was firm on its position regarding the integrity of its recruitment process.
"Members of the public are advised that the NPS treats the matter of recruitment with the utmost seriousness and deploys strict verification protocols. Any dishonest attempts, including the use of fake documents, cannot succeed," Nyaga's statement read.
The NPS cited Article 245(4)(c) of the Constitution and a recent Court of Appeal ruling as part of the legal framework guiding its recruitment obligations.
Under Kenyan law, the use of forged documents carries serious consequences.
Section 349 of the Penal Code provides for up to three years in prison, a fine, or both for creating a false document with intent to deceive.
Individuals have also faced charges under the Kenya National Examinations Council Act for presenting counterfeit certificates.
This is not the first time recruits have been caught with fake papers at police training institutions.
In 2022, ten recruits were arrested at Kiganjo on similar grounds and had their training terminated.
In April this year, 13 recruits at the Administration Police Training College in Embakasi were charged at the Milimani law courts with forging Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education certificates before being expelled.
Source: TUKO.co.ke