A lobby group has moved to court seeking urgent orders to stop the planned recruitment of 10,000 police officers by the National Police Service (NPS).
Sheria Mtaani, through its founder Shadrack Wambui and lawyer Danstan Omari, wants the High Court to restrain the Inspector General of Police and the NPS from proceeding with the exercise until a pending petition on payroll management is heard and determined.
In its application dated September 9, 2025, the group is also asking the court to certify the matter as extremely urgent and to allow the case to be heard during the court’s recess, which runs from August 1 to September 15.
The lobby further seeks that the costs of the application be in the cause and that the court issues any other orders it deems fit.
The petition, lodged on August 12, raises constitutional questions over the delineation of powers under Articles 245 and 246 of the Constitution. Specifically, it seeks clarity on whether the control and management of the police payroll is an operational function of the Inspector General or a human resource mandate of the National Police Service Commission.
Omari told the court that despite being served on August 14, the respondents and interested parties have yet to file any responses, leaving the application unopposed.
“The recruitment of police officers is directly tied to payroll management, as recruits must be placed on the payroll for payment of salaries, allowances, and benefits, all of which are at the centre of the dispute before the court,” Omari argued.
In an affidavit, Wambui stated that payroll administration is the primary tool for implementing human resource decisions such as recruitment, promotions, transfers, suspensions, and disciplinary actions. He warned that allowing recruitment before the case is determined would embed payroll entries under an authority whose mandate is in dispute.
“The conservatory orders sought are intended to preserve the subject matter of this petition, maintain institutional stability, preserve public confidence in the national security apparatus, and ensure that any final judgment of this Honourable Court is not rendered nugatory,” Wambui said in the affidavit.
Despite directions given on August 13 for responses to be filed within seven days, the Inspector General and NPS have since announced plans to proceed with the mass recruitment in the coming weeks.
