Nairobi — There is anger in the police force about the criteria used to select officers for intelligence training at the General Service Unit training school.

The selection of the 200 officers for intelligence collection training was done by the office of the director of personnel and administration at Police headquarters, Mr Charlton Muriithi.

The officers are expected to join the newly-formed National Intelligence Agency after they complete training, which started last Friday.

Officers from the provinces who applied to join the NIA claim the selection process was unfair as most shortlisted candidates were missing from the final list.

They said the list of applicants from the provinces was received at Vigilance House three weeks ago but most of the names forwarded by the provincial police bosses were not on the final list.

Most of the NIA recruits were reportedly picked up from the regular police and applicants from other sections like Traffic, CID, Airport Police Unit, General Service Unit, Presidential Escort Unit and Anti-Stock Theft Unit were shunned.

Police spokesman Eric Kiraithe on Tuesday said the process was still going on and a lot still had to be done.

"This was done as a matter of urgency. This is not a one-off process and will be done progressively," Mr Kiraithe said.

The Kenya Police intends to use the intelligence officers to step up the war against violent gangs and other forms of criminal activity.

They will be employed as matatu drivers, conductors, hawkers, shoe shiners, street cleaners, newspaper vendors, waiters, barmaids and barmen, boda boda riders, taxi drivers, office workers, construction workers, and even in the Jua Kali sector.

"We intend to have our ears to the ground and collect intelligence that will make police work much easier than it has been in the past," a senior police officer who is not authorised to speak to the press on the issue said.

On his appointment, new Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere pledged to reduce the crime rate in the country by 30 per cent.