Kilifi youths who turned out in numbers to participate in Police recruitment conducted on Thursday at Karisa Maitha grounds in Kilifi North constituency have denounced the exercise saying it was corrupt and unfair.
23 year old Alex Kazungu, total orphan and a caregiver to five siblings, who emerged the first in a 6 KM race as part of the exercise cried down saying he was told to go home with no convincing reason despite succeeding in all the selection stages.
Being the second time participating in a similar exercise, Kazungu said he passed all the stages with the required documents, the recruiters told him he failed because he had not reported early to the exercise, allegations that he termed false since he had been the first to report there before 6 AM.
“It has not been fair at all. I have been told I didn’t come early, which is a big lie since I was the first to report here and despite that I was number one in the running exercise,” Kazungu said.
Kazungu expressed his disappointment saying he had reported so early, gave the exercise his all energy not only because he has passion for the job but also he is the bread winner of his family and is jobless.
26-year-old Bokole Mramba a participant, termed the exercise as marred with corruption saying the recruiter who dismissed him after qualifying unto the last stage with no peculiar reason had not even been present in the early stages from morning.
He said he possesses all the requirements plus a tae-kuondo certificate which he believes should be an added advantage in police recruitment exercise.
He accused the security officials for being unfair in the exercise saying some of the selected candidates had evidently demonstrated failure from the first stage.
He also mentioned that the police more so were not fair to Alex Kazungu whose dismissal shocked everyone that was present during the exercise
Speaking to the press, Kaloleni Constituency OCPD Ezekiel Chepkwony however dismissed the claims saying that the exercise was fair.
“The exercise has been fair. We have selected 10 males who succeeded in the exercise. They will be notified when to join the training,” Chepkwony said.
The press deeply interrogated Chepkwony about the allegations of the participants who were dismissed with no solid reason even after passing the medical tests up to the last stage but he insisted otherwise.
“Everyone has been told why they have been disqualified. Mostly for medical reason,” he countered.
He said the dismissed participants were offered vivid reasons for dismissal, countering the information given by Kazungu and Mramba.
He contradicted the statement of lateness saying everyone who participated reported early enough.
Besides, a number of girls who had turned up in large numbers for the exercise have expressed their disappointments in the police recruitment exercise which excluded them.
Clara Sophia from Chumani said that her passion to serve in the security sector drove her to report to the exercise only to be told that there was no slot for the female gender.
“I came here so early, driven by passion to participate in this exercise only to be told that there were no slots for girls. We also need these jobs because we equally have needs. The government advertised that there would be gender balanced and see now no single girl has been considered. I am so disappointed,” Sophia Said.
Priscah Jumbala said she felt so discriminated by the fact that no girl was given a chance to participate in the exercise.
She said she has been seeking for the opportunity long enough only to be disappointed again on the basis of gender bias.
She said the cost of living has gone so high and offering jobs to the youth could only be the solution.
Silvia Mapenzi from Sokoni ward questioned the government why the exercise had to exclude the female gender when gender equality has been a subject of priority.
“It is difficult to understand that people are advocating for gender equality and yet we girls have been denied the chance to participate in such an exercise. At least we should have been given even two chances as girls,” Mapenzi said.
She urged the government to consider giving slots to women so that they don’t feel left out.
The exercise started at 8 AM and ended at 4 PM.
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