A young man complaining about height requirement during a police recruitment drive on November 17, 2025/ SCREENGRABA video circulating online has
captured a young man’s frustration with what he stated as unfair barriers in
his police job search.
In the clip, he demands to know why
height seems to matter more than competence.
“Mnaninyima kazi kwa sababu mimi ni
mfupi? Watu wangapi wakona kazi na ni wafupi?” he asks, questioning whether his
rejection is because of his short stature, and whether brains or height are the
real criteria.
He explains that he has been
unemployed for eight years, despite enrolling in the National Youth Service
(NYS).
“Mlinyima kazi nikaenda NYS. Sasa
nimeenda NYS … sasa mnaninyima kazi ingine. Kwani mimi ndio sifai kwa kazi?” he
says, his voice strained with frustration.
“Kwani mimi sio mKenya?” he
continues, implying that he feels his identity or background is being used
against him.
Coming from a poor background, the
man recounts how he completed NYS training, including nation-building and ICT
programs, yet still has not secured stable employment.
“I have tried everything. Why is it
that they are always denying me a job?”
The nationwide recruitment of 10,000 police constables took place on Monday, November 17, from 8am to 5pm.
The exercise was conducted across 427 centers.
The National Police Service had urged all qualified Kenyan youth to turn up and participate freely and transparently.
The NPS emphasised on its zero-tolerance
stance on bribery and corruption, warning that anyone engaging in such acts
will face the full force of the law.
The candidates underwent traditional physical and medical
examinations under the supervision of recruitment officers.
Earlier in the year, the National Police Service Commission
(NPSC) announced that candidates would be able to apply online and would then
be informed of their suitability.
The Commission explained that the move was intended to
reduce unnecessary physical and medical examinations for those who did not
qualify.
In its announcement to the public regarding the exercise,
the NPS urged eligible youths to participate, describing the process as a ‘new
dawn for Kenya’.
Candidates were required to be
Kenyan citizens holding a valid national identity card, aged between 18 and 28
years, and possess a minimum grade of D+ in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary
Education, with at least a D+ in English or Kiswahili.
They were expected to also be
physically and medically fit, with a minimum height requirement of five feet
eight inches for men and five feet three inches for women.
Additionally, applicants must have
no criminal record, while female candidates are required not to be pregnant
during recruitment or throughout the training period.
National Youth Service (NYS)
graduates who met the criteria were also encouraged to apply.
Following the drive on Monday,
Inspector General Douglas Kanja said the process was carried out without major
challenges, marking what he described as a well-coordinated national effort.
Kanja added that the recruitment was conducted with order and fairness.
