Kenya court officials refused to stop prison cadet hiring but said the case needs fast handling. Two prison workers filed papers asking to block the process they call unfair. Peter Agoro and Henry Muriithi speak for 600 colleagues who feel left out despite having proper training. The Kenya Prisons Service started looking for new cadets through newspaper ads on April 17. People can apply until April 30.
The workers say the job rules keep out current staff who earned college degrees and want promotions. They believe these jobs should go to people already working there instead of outsiders. They claim the rules changed to demand Master's degrees from regular officers when Bachelor's degrees worked before. Their lawyer, John Wangai, asked the court to halt hiring right away. The lawsuit names prison leaders, government officials, and human rights groups as parties involved.
Justice Hellen Wasilwa from the Employment Court did not stop the hiring but told everyone to file papers before they meet again on May 20, 2025. She gave the prison service 14 days to answer the claims. The workers must reply within seven days after that. Both sides need to submit their arguments one week later. The workers fear the hiring will harm their rights if allowed to continue.
The workers say the job rules keep out current staff who earned college degrees and want promotions. They believe these jobs should go to people already working there instead of outsiders. They claim the rules changed to demand Master's degrees from regular officers when Bachelor's degrees worked before. Their lawyer, John Wangai, asked the court to halt hiring right away. The lawsuit names prison leaders, government officials, and human rights groups as parties involved.
Justice Hellen Wasilwa from the Employment Court did not stop the hiring but told everyone to file papers before they meet again on May 20, 2025. She gave the prison service 14 days to answer the claims. The workers must reply within seven days after that. Both sides need to submit their arguments one week later. The workers fear the hiring will harm their rights if allowed to continue.
