Nairobi — The National Assembly has demanded an explanation from the National Police Service (NPS) over the dismissal of 18 female recruits from Kiganjo Police Training College after they were found to be pregnant.
Lawmakers have questioned the legality of the decision and are calling for reforms to protect the rights of affected women.
Makueni Woman Representative Suzanne Kiamba sought a statement from the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security, saying the dismissal had raised concerns about compliance with the Constitution, labour laws, and the principles of fair administrative action.
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Kiamba told the House that while the NPS confirmed in May that the recruits had been discontinued from the basic recruit training course because they were pregnant, it remained unclear whether the pregnancies occurred before the women reported for training or during the course.
She also questioned the legal and policy basis upon which the recruits were dismissed.
"Article 27 of the Constitution entitles women and men to equal treatment, including equal opportunities. The dismissal of female recruits solely based on pregnancy has therefore raised legitimate public concern regarding compliance with the Constitution, existing labour laws and the principles of fair administrative action," she said.
The legislator asked the committee to explain the legal framework governing the discontinuation of pregnant recruits, the procedures followed before the decision was made, the officers responsible for approving the dismissals, and whether the affected women were accorded a fair administrative process.
She also sought clarification on measures to allow female recruits found to be pregnant after recruitment to resume training after childbirth and what reforms are being undertaken to ensure police recruitment and disciplinary processes comply with constitutional guarantees of equality and non-discrimination.
Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo, who chairs the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security, said he would table a comprehensive response but cautioned Members against concluding the facts were established.
He noted that police training is physically demanding and recruits are expected not to be pregnant at the time of recruitment.
"It is a prerequisite that during the vetting for recruitment, they should not be pregnant. Nevertheless, I will still bring the response," Hon. Tongoyo said.
This even as the matter sparked a debate with several MPs questioning the recruitment and medical screening procedures.
Kitui West MP Edith Nyenze asked whether proper pregnancy tests were conducted during recruitment and argued that women who become pregnant should not automatically lose the opportunity to serve.
"There should be a mechanism for reinstating these girls to college because it may not be a problem of their own making," she said.
Endebess MP Robert Pukose urged restraint, saying female recruits normally undergo pregnancy tests during recruitment and again upon reporting to the training college.
He said the House should await the committee's report to establish at what stage the pregnancies were detected.
Former Internal Security minister and Kilgoris MP Julius Sunkuli said pregnancy has traditionally been treated as an act of indiscipline within the disciplined services, including the police and the Kenya Defence Forces.
However, he acknowledged that some pregnancies could involve instructors or visitors rather than fellow recruits, saying this possibility should also be examined.
Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi challenged the notion that women alone should bear the consequences.
"You cannot say a woman will be chased out. Maybe it is even the boss. What happens in that case?" she posed.
Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris proposed that the police consider providing family planning services to recruits during training and allow those who become pregnant to return after giving birth.
"If it is not allowed for one to be pregnant, and you know women will engage in sex and they will get pregnant, why not put them on a family planning option throughout the training?" she asked.
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She added that women should be allowed to resume training after delivery instead of permanently losing the opportunity.
Tharaka MP George Murugara defended the existing recruitment procedures, saying female applicants declare their pregnancy status before admission and are medically tested.
He said pregnancies may go undetected if they are in the very early stages, resulting in a negative test during recruitment but a positive result months later.
Murugara maintained that strict rules at Kiganjo Police Training College limit interaction between male and female recruits and prohibit relationships between instructors and recruits, adding that any officer found to have breached the rules would also face disciplinary action.
Tongoyo reiterated that the committee would investigate the circumstances surrounding the dismissal of the recruits and present its findings to the House, urging MPs not to rely on media reports before the official response is tabled.
