The passion to join the Kenya Police Service will not allow John Ogoma, 26, to give up the dream, even after five previous failed attempts.
He will make another stab later this month when the National Police Service embarks on recruiting 5,000 men and women on March 24.
His first attempt was in 2017, when he was turned away in the last stages at the Siaya stadium. He said the huge bribes job seekers were asked to pay stood in his way. But he feels the main reason he was rejected was his “big” head, which the bribe could ‘cure’.
“I come from a humble background. My father is a small-scale carpenter and my mother sells porridge at Ng’iya market in Siaya. The proceeds from the small businesses are not enough to bribe my way into the police service,” said Mr Ogoma, who attended a sensitisation session organised by National Police Service Commission vice-chair Alice Otwala.
The year 2018 opened another opportunity and he turned up to try his luck. But he was pushed out again at the final stage. He was told he had a big head that could not allow him to serve in the police service.
“The officer in charge of the exercise disqualified me for having a big head. To me, this reason was not good enough. I later realised that someone already offered money and my chance went away like that. Again my poverty locked me out of the police service,” he lamented.
The Form Four leaver from Malomba Secondary School in Alego Usonga scored a C-plain. He will try for the sixth time to serve in the police service on March 24 and his hopes are high that he will succeed.
Dr Otwala assured the young people that the process will be fair and transparent.
“We are reforming the commission and you will agree with me that the cases of people bribing their way into the service has gone down since last year. The sensitisation forum is also meant to inform the potential candidates to shun offering bribes,” she said.
Mr Ogoma said he felt that the recruitment officials come to the venue with a prepared list.
“When everything is already done at the field, there is a list of candidates that the officials have from Nairobi. They would ask for your identity card and then match it with the names on the list, and when your name is there you are lucky,” he said.
To improve his chances of joining the police service, he enrolled with the National Youth Service (NYS), where he studied procurement.
“oining the service, according to some information I received from the officials within, is easier with an NYS certificate. But ever since I graduated from the NYS, nothing has happened. It is the same old story of having to bribe the officials,” he lamented.
He claimed that in 2019 he approached a senior officer in Siaya to help him secure a chance. He failed because the juicy promises were never fulfilled.
“I convinced my mother to help me facilitate the officer to Nairobi after he promised to send me an admission letter. I paid him some money to facilitate his movement to Nairobi and back. To date I am still waiting for the admission letter,” he said.
Siaya County Police Commander Michael Muchiri said young people with potential should not follow shortcuts and engage in underhand dealings to join the forces.
“The youths should not be cheated. Once you have all that is needed to join the police service, be patient, get to the recruitment centre on time and give it your best and nobody will turn you down. Take the notion of bribery out of your mind because when you are good you will be recruited,” he said.
Dr Otwala promised to get to the bottom of all the allegations of bribery, saying the commission wants to improve the image of the police service.
“Police service is a noble profession and we shall not allow anybody to taint the name of the police by collecting bribes. We shall deal with the cartels that cheat the public that they have powers to employ,” Dr Otwala said. BY DAILY NATION