National Police College-Maina Campus Kiganjo
Senators have demanded answers from the government over the dismissal of 18 pregnant recruits from the National Police College in Kiganjo, saying the matter raises concerns about the protection of women's rights and equal access to public service opportunities.
The Senate debate was sparked by the Kenya Women Senators Association (KEWOSA), which sought a statement from the Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations on the circumstances surrounding the dismissal of the recruits.
The National Police Service had not publicly responded to the Senate debate and the court petition at the time of publication.
Through KEWOSA chairperson Veronica Maina, the lawmakers questioned the legal basis used to dismiss the women and called for reforms to police training regulations to better accommodate expectant recruits.
"The expulsion of these young women sends a disturbing and regressive message that women are still expected to choose between their biological realities and their aspirations to serve this nation," Maina said.
She said the dismissals had exposed what she described as gaps in gender sensitivity within public institutions and undermined constitutional guarantees on equality, dignity and fair labour practices under Articles 27, 28 and 41 of the Constitution.
Maina also rejected the explanation previously given by police authorities that the dismissals were informed by training regulations and the physically demanding nature of police training.
"Pregnancy is neither misconduct nor incapacity, and motherhood must never be construed as a disqualification from service, leadership or employment," she said.
The senators want the committee to explain whether the National Police Service is considering gender-responsive training policies and what safeguards are in place to protect women from discrimination based on pregnancy or maternal status.
Nandi Senator Samson Cherarkey backed calls for the affected recruits to be allowed to resume training after childbirth.
"No one should be punished for getting pregnant. It is not an accident and it is not an offence under the law," Cherarkey said.
He proposed that the recruits be allowed to defer their training and rejoin future intakes after giving birth.
The debate comes weeks after a petition was filed at the Employment and Labour Relations Court challenging the dismissal of the 18 recruits from the National Police College Main Campus in Kiganjo.
The petition, filed by Peter Agoro and John Wangai on May 22, argues that the dismissals were unconstitutional, discriminatory and unlawful.
Court documents indicate that the affected women were among approximately 10,000 police constables recruited in November 2025 following a nationwide exercise.
According to the petitioners, the recruits successfully completed all stages of recruitment and received formal appointment letters before reporting to Kiganjo in Nyeri County for training.
The petitioners further state that, upon reporting to the college, female recruits were subjected to pregnancy tests, with 18 found to be pregnant.
According to the court filings, the women were subsequently dismissed from training on account of their pregnancies.
The petition notes that during an inspection visit by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on May 7, the commandant of the National Police College stated that 54 recruits had been dismissed from training for various reasons, including forged academic certificates, disciplinary violations and pregnancy-related grounds.
The petitioners argue that, unlike dismissals linked to misconduct or forged documents, the removal of the pregnant recruits lacked a clear legal basis.
"There exists no specific legal provision, regulation or publicly gazetted policy that expressly provides for the automatic dismissal of a female police recruit solely on the basis of pregnancy," the petition states.
The petitioners further argue that the dismissals amounted to direct and indirect gender discrimination because pregnancy is unique to women and no equivalent standard had been applied to male recruits.
They are seeking court orders compelling the National Police Service and the National Police Service Commission to reinstate the recruits in a future training intake after childbirth and recovery, without penalty or loss of benefits.
They are also seeking the development and gazettement of a comprehensive policy governing pregnancy during police recruitment and training.
