Promotions push senior officers to forge papers

Some police officers who have been undergoing Police Legal Studies at the National Police College Main Campus in Kiganjo, Nyeri county are on the spot for forging results to secure promotions, People Daily has established. 

People Daily has obtained details of how the officers, some of whom are currently undergoing disciplinary action, have been forging the results.

This week, four of the affected officers including two drawn from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), were found guilty and sent back to their work stations awaiting further punitive measures.

A senior officer who spoke to People Daily in confidence said that some rogue officers have been stealing the examination results of their colleagues and presenting them as their own.

“It is on this effect that the management of the training camp ordered that officers show their full weekly orders for every examination that they claim to have passed,” the officer who is not authorised to speak to the media said.

The officer further said the management has since moved to stamp out examination malpractices with a view to weeding out those who are caught cheating.

Police officers interested in seeking promotion undergo training and take examinations at the Kiganjo Main Campus.

“It is worrying that officers across all levels of Cadets from those in the rank of a corporal to those taking Higher Training Course (HTC) are engaged in the malpractice,” our source said. 

This week, two corporals attached to the DCI were sent packing after it emerged that they never sat and passed their examinations and had instead forged results. 

In the new orders issued this week, police officers intending to attend future courses should ensure that they show their past results before they enroll for new courses. 

“Those who have in the past produced photocopied results should be informed that the representation is null and void and that they should replace them with original copies,” a circular issued over the same read in part.

Police law examinations cover several units including the General Duty Police Law Examination which entails the Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code, Evidence Act 2009 and Local acts. 

Another unit is Transport Inspectorate Examination which covers Technical Principals, Station Administration and Practical work and Movement of vehicles and related matters. 

The final unit is Communications Inspectorate Examination which entails communications, station administration and practical work. 

The forging of examination results comes at a time when there is a discussion on whether the service should hire police officers who score well academically. 

Early this week, Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i said the service needed better educated police officers for complex analysis. 

On Wednesday police spokesperson Charles Owino appeared to contradict the CS, saying the hiring process was in order and having police officers with lower grades was in order. 

Owino said hiring police officers with higher grades would see the demand for promotions increase. 

“We have a challenge when we hire every policeman with Grade C+ and above. They go back to school, get degrees and come back and ask for promotions.

We serve at certain ratios. For example, for every nine officers, we have one corporal. And for a large number, we have one inspector, so you cannot promote everyone to those levels. This is why we must separate,” he said.