A massive one-day police recruitment drive on Monday, November 17, 2025, saw thousands of hopeful Kenyans flock to 427 centres nationwide, but in Homa Bay, the exercise was marked by frustration as numerous candidates were disqualified for failing seemingly minor medical tests, including the inability to wink one eye. The incident has cast a spotlight on the stringent and sometimes opaque evaluation criteria used by the National Police Service (NPS) in a country grappling with significant youth unemployment.

The nationwide exercise, aimed at recruiting 10,000 police constables, proceeded after the High Court on Friday, November 14, lifted a temporary suspension. The suspension had been issued on November 10 by Justice Bahati Mwamuye following a petition that challenged the legality of the process. Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja had urged the court to lift the ban, citing a dire staffing crisis after a three-year recruitment freeze and the need to bolster security ahead of the 2027 General Election.

In Homa Bay, long queues of applicants underwent a series of checks, including verification of age and academic qualifications, followed by physical and medical assessments. However, several candidates expressed their disappointment after being eliminated during the medical evaluation for reasons they deemed trivial. "I was struggling to close one eye. It is the same problem that kicked me out of Kenya Defence Forces recruitment last month," Rolex Opiyo, a disqualified applicant, told reporters. Others were turned away for not possessing a certificate of good conduct, a requirement they claimed was not specified in the initial advertisements.

The recruitment drive, which ran from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM EAT, was described as a success by Inspector General Kanja, who stated the exercise was conducted smoothly across the country. The NPS had advertised the positions on October 31, 2025, outlining the minimum requirements for applicants. These included being a Kenyan citizen aged between 18 and 28, holding a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) with a minimum grade of D+, and meeting specific physical fitness and medical standards. The minimum height requirement is 5 feet 8 inches for men and 5 feet 3 inches for women. Female applicants were also required not to be pregnant during the recruitment or the subsequent training period.

The disqualifications in Homa Bay raise critical questions about the recruitment criteria in the context of Kenya's severe youth unemployment. Projections for 2025 indicate a national unemployment rate of around 5.2%, with other analyses suggesting it could be as high as 12.5%, disproportionately affecting the youth. For many young Kenyans, public service jobs, including the police force, represent a rare opportunity for stable employment. The perception that candidates can be disqualified for arbitrary reasons can fuel public distrust in the fairness and transparency of the process, a concern the National Police Service Commission has previously acknowledged by emphasizing the need for integrity.

While officials in Homa Bay maintained that they were following standard national procedures, the incidents underscore the immense pressure on applicants and the high stakes involved. The government's push to enlist 10,000 new officers is part of a broader strategy to enhance the country's security infrastructure. However, the experiences of candidates like those in Homa Bay suggest a need for greater clarity and potential review of recruitment protocols to ensure they are relevant, fair, and do not unnecessarily exclude capable individuals from serving the nation, especially when formal job opportunities remain scarce.