Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has affirmed that comprehensive measures are now in place to ensure the upcoming recruitment drive for Kenya Defence Forces(KDF) personnel is conducted with the highest standards of fairness and integrity.
Duale said in a statement Wednesday that the nationwide event that will run between August 20 and September 24 will be devoid of what he described as corruption and favoritism that has marred past exercises.
The Defence CS pointed out that “It is ironic that, the Kenya Defence Forces, one of the most disciplined militaries in the world, has in the past had recruitment exercises marred with indiscipline and unlawful dealings” noting that stringent measures have been put in place to seal the gaps that had given room for bribery.
To curtail any potential for corrupt activities during the recruitment, Duale revealed that the Defence Ministry has upscaled communication to warn Kenyans form falling prey to fraudsters.
“As we prepare to kick off the enrollment of new entrants into the KDF from next week, we have sent reminders via SMS and other communication platforms to all Kenyans, as a cautionary measure against falling for fraudsters and charlatans masquerading as recruiting officers,” Duale said.
Furthermore, in the spirit of meritocracy, Duale said that his Ministry had directed their officers taking part in countrywide field event to observe utmost transparency and treat all candidates indiscriminately during the process.
He warned of grave consequences should any officer, candidates or guardians be found engaged in any kind of malpractice during the exercise.
“Anyone, officers, guardians or the candidates themselves, who’ll be found breaking the law will be dismissed forthwith and made to face the full wrath of the law,” he added.
The Ministry of Defence is seeking to recruit General Service Officer (GSO) Cadets, Specialist Officers, General Duty Recruits, Tradesmen/women, and Defence Forces Constables.
To qualify for the recruitment, candidates must be aged between 18 and 26 years for GSO Cadets and General Duty Recruits, and not above 30 years of age for Specialist Officers and Tradesmen/women.
They should also not be above 39 years of age for Chaplains/Imams.
Candidates must meet the minimum physical requirements: Minimum height for men 1.60m (5ft 3in) and women 1.52m (5ft). The minimum weight for men is 54.55 kg and for women 50.00 Kg.
