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Career advice · Updated October 2026

Kenya Prisons Service Recruitment Guide: Constable and Cadet Requirements

The Kenya Prisons Service (KPS) recruits uniformed officers who run the country’s prisons and borstal institutions, and its intakes are short, one-day affairs that are easy to miss. This guide explains the two entry routes, constable and cadet, using the Service’s own published requirements and its April 2025 constable advert, so you can prepare well ahead of the next notice.

About the Service

The Kenya Prisons Service is a state department under the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, operating under the Prisons Act and the Borstal Act, and headed by the Commissioner General of Prisons. Its official website is prisons.go.ke, where recruitment adverts are posted under “Downloads”.

How often KPS recruits

The Service’s FAQ page says recruitment is conducted on a need basis only, and advises applicants to check prisons.go.ke, mygov.go.ke and the daily newspapers for dates and centres. The most recent intake we can verify was the constable recruitment held on 30 April 2025; the Service’s downloads page also lists a separate Cadet Recruitment Advert 2025. We found no 2026 intake notice as of 19 October 2026.

Constables: the 2025 requirements

The April 2025 advert (PDF on prisons.go.ke), announced by Commissioner General of Prisons Patrick Aranduh, required prospective prison constables, men and women, to:

  • Be Kenyan citizens with a valid national ID card.
  • Have no criminal record.
  • Hold a KCSE minimum grade of D+ (plus) or equivalent.
  • Be aged 18 to 28 years.
  • Be at least 5ft 4in tall for men and 5ft 2in for women.
  • Be physically and mentally fit, with good hearing and clear vision.
  • For women, not be pregnant at recruitment or during initial training.

These match the Service’s standing FAQ, which gives the constable age range as 18 to 28 and the minimum KCSE grade as D+.

Cadets: the officer route

Graduates can enter as cadets. According to the KPS FAQ, a cadet must be 18 to 30 years old, hold a minimum KCSE grade of C+ (plus) and a relevant bachelor’s degree from a recognised university, and meet the same citizenship, height, fitness and pregnancy conditions as constables. Cadet adverts are published separately from constable adverts and set out their own disciplines and application method, so read the cadet notice itself when it appears.

What a prison constable does

When announcing the 2025 intake, the Service described the constable’s job as the custody and supervision of inmates, keeping security and order inside the institution, and escorting inmates safely to court, hospital and other facilities. Constables also help run rehabilitation programmes such as education, vocational training and religious activities, and encourage discipline among inmates (as reported by The Star). It is shift work in a closed, disciplined setting, which is worth weighing before you queue on recruitment day.

Documents for recruitment day

The 2025 constable advert asked candidates to carry these originals to the centre:

  1. National ID card.
  2. Birth certificate.
  3. KRA PIN certificate.
  4. Academic certificates, including KCSE.
  5. Any other relevant testimonials.

Bring photocopies too, as most recruiters ask for them. Many school leavers do not yet have a KRA PIN. You can generate one free on iTax in minutes if you have an ID, so do it now rather than on the eve of recruitment. Our documents guide explains the steps.

How recruitment day works

For constables, there is no application form to post or portal to fill. The 2025 advert said recruitment would take place only at the officially listed centres on the stated day, and invited eligible candidates to attend. At the centre, expect document checks, physical measurements and fitness and medical assessment against the published standards. Because it all happens on one day, arrive early at the right centre with every original in hand.

Training

Successful candidates undergo paramilitary initial training lasting not less than nine months, sponsored by the government, according to the 2025 advert. That is longer than the six months quoted by NYS and KWS for their recruits, so plan for an extended period away from home.

Pay

The constable advert did not state a salary, and we have not found an official KPS pay schedule for new constables to quote, so we do not give a figure. Treat any website listing exact prison warder salaries without a source with caution.

Civilian jobs and attachments

The KPS FAQ says the Service does not employ civilians directly: civilian staff such as accountants or ICT officers are seconded from the Public Service Commission. If you want a non-uniformed job in prisons, watch PSC adverts on our PSC jobs page. Students seeking industrial attachment can apply to Prisons Headquarters with a copy of their ID, two passport photos, an introduction letter from their institution, a police clearance certificate and medical insurance cover.

Free recruitment and fraud

The 2025 advert said recruitment was entirely free of charge and that bribery, corruption and forged or falsified documents would lead to disqualification and prosecution. It warned the public to avoid anyone claiming to offer help in exchange for money or favours. If anyone approaches you with such an offer, report it at the nearest police station. Our fake job adverts guide lists the common tactics.

Track the next KPS intake

Sign up for job alerts, check the government jobs tracker, browse security jobs for related work, and read our general guide on government job applications.

Other government recruitment guides

How the other disciplined services and public bodies recruit:

Frequently asked questions

What are the requirements to join Kenya Prisons as a constable?

Kenyan citizen, aged 18 to 28, KCSE D+ or equivalent, at least 5ft 4in (men) or 5ft 2in (women), fit, with good hearing and vision and no criminal record, per the 2025 advert.

How long is prisons training?

The 2025 advert said initial paramilitary training lasts not less than nine months.

Does Kenya Prisons employ civilians?

Not directly. Its FAQ says civilian staff are seconded from the Public Service Commission.

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