The Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) have officially commenced their 2023 nationwide recruitment campaign with the aim of strengthening their ranks and enhancing the nation’s security capabilities.
Vice Chief of the Defense Forces, Lieutenant General Jonah Mwangi, while addressing journalists at the Defense Forces Headquarters in Hurlingham, Nairobi, today emphasised the importance of diversity within the KDF and explained that recruitment is necessary to address human resource and capacity gaps within the organisation, adding that transparency and accountability will prevail during the recruitment process.
“The recruitment process encompasses three main categories: officer cadets, recruits, and the Defense Forces Constabulary. Under the Officer Cadet category, sub-categories include General Service Officer Cadet, Graduate General Service Officer Cadet, and Specialist Officer Cadet. These individuals will undergo training to become commissioned officers in the KDF,” he explained.
“The Recruit category focuses on enlisting General Duty Recruits, including artisans, tradesmen, and women. Successful candidates in this category will undergo military training and later become service members within the KDF. The Defense Forces Constabulary category involves the recruitment of Defense Forces Constables, selected from ex-Kenya Defense Forces Service Members and ex-National Youth Service Uniformed Individuals,” he added.
To ensure widespread participation, the KDF released a recruitment advertisement on July 30, 2023. Lieutenant General Mwangi expressed his confidence in the advertisement’s effectiveness in attracting potential candidates.
He said the recruitment process is decentralised, with 374 recruitment centres established across the 47 counties of Kenya. The interviews for candidates will take place from August 28 to September 8, 2023, between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM.
The official start of in-person interviews was declared on Monday, August 28, 2023. Specialist Officer Cadet and Tradesmen and Women candidates were required to submit their applications through the Ministry of Defense (MOD) Portal by Sunday, August 27, 2023. Successful applicants from these categories will be notified through print media between September 17 and 24, 2023.
Lieutenant General Mwangi assured the public of the transparency and accountability of the recruitment process.
He also warned against any attempts to manipulate the system, urging candidates to avoid engaging with anyone claiming to have influence over recruitment outside the designated centres.
Lieutenant General Mwangi called upon the public to uphold the KDF’s values and report any suspicious activities related to the recruitment process. Hotline numbers (0726419709 or 0726419706) were provided for reporting such incidents.
However, the successful candidates in the cadet category will proceed to the Kenya Military Academy in Lanet, Nakuru County, for further processing. Meanwhile, confirmed General Duty Recruits and Tradesmen and Women will attend training at the Kenya Defense Forces Recruit Training School in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.
By Samson Nkooma
