Gathoni Wamuchomba has spoken out against the dismissal of 18 female police recruits from the National Police Training College Kiganjo after they were found to be pregnant during training.
Reacting to the development, Wamuchomba described the situation as painful and unfortunate, arguing that removing the women from the training programme was unfair and unnecessarily harsh.
According to her, the recruits should instead be granted deferment, allowing them to temporarily pause their training and later return after giving birth to continue pursuing their careers in the police service.
She stressed that pregnancy should not be treated as a crime or a reason to permanently deny young women opportunities for professional advancement.
Wamuchomba noted that the affected recruits had already successfully passed through the recruitment process and earned positions at the training college, adding that their dreams and future careers should not be destroyed because of pregnancy.
She argued that the police service should adopt a more compassionate and supportive approach by preserving the recruits’ training slots until they are physically ready to resume their studies.
The lawmaker also compared the situation to policies in schools where students who become pregnant are often allowed to continue their education after a break. According to her, similar understanding and fairness should apply within police training institutions.
Wamuchomba stated that she had formally requested police authorities to issue deferment letters to the affected women so they can retain their positions and return to complete training later.
She further called on Kipchumba Murkomen to intervene and help resolve the matter, expressing confidence that his involvement could lead to a fairer outcome for the recruits.
In addition, she appealed to women’s rights organisations and public figures, including Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA), Martha Karua, and UN Women, to support the affected trainees.
Wamuchomba said every Kenyan who values fairness and equal opportunity should stand with the young women and support efforts to ensure they are allowed to continue their careers after maternity.
Her comments have added momentum to the growing national debate surrounding police training policies, gender equality, and the treatment of pregnant recruits within Kenya’s security institutions.