Very few youths turned up on Thursday for the National Police Service recruitment in Kisumu.

The recruitment officer in charge Benson Kasyoka said the number of those who turned up was below what they anticipated.

Some of the residents said they were not aware of the process. But Kasyoka said the exercise was advertised as required by the law.

"I can’t explain why most of the youths did not turn up for the exercise because it is very wanting. Some of those who came did not even have the required height," he said.

A monitoring agent Janet Ogot blamed the local authorities for lack of grassroots mobilization.

"The exercise was advertised through the papers and even the radio but the grassroots mobilisation was not done. Many people were left unaware hence the poor turnout," Ogot said.

She said women were more disadvantaged because most of them did not reach the required threshold in terms of height and papers.

"Most women had the grades of D minus yet the requirement was a person with D plus and above, "She said.

But the education officer Joseph Onyango said those whose certificates were not authentic were sent back following the directive, a move that let some 2016 candidates who came with result slips were left out.

In Webuye East, a woman collapsed and died during the recruitment.

Jenipher Wamocho, 27, was among hundreds of youths who turned up for the interviews for AP, GSU and general police posts.

The prisons department will also recruit 3,000 officers on May 24. The recruits will undergo a nine-month training at Kenya Police Training College in Kiganjo and Embakasi's Administration Police Training College.

They are expected to report for the training on May 19.