Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) often advertises positions for civilian staff recruited to support operations and missions.
Recruiting a civilian to work for the military is normally long and tedious, not just for the job seekers but also for the soldiers.
In many cases, the process does begin with a simple advert on legacy or social media platforms.
"The entry and training grade for a basic officer will work under the supervision and guidance of a senior officer. An officer at this level will be assigned simple duties," a statement read - in a previous KDF advert for civilian staff.
The advert outlines the basic requirements, including academic, health, skills, and knowledge requirements that the job seekers must possess.
It is the responsibility of the Military Human Resource wing to review and shortlist individuals who have made qualified for the interview.
At this point, the main task is to identify individuals who have demonstrated that they can do the job to which they applied.
The next rigorous step is for the KDF to identify individuals who are fit to serve in the military by possessing befitting qualities and records. This is often done by collecting actionable intelligence on civilian applicants seeking to join the military.
The Military Intelligence Department's responsibility is to collect all necessary information on the job seekers who have been shortlisted for the interview.
The intelligence is normally basic but may be very extensive, especially, if the investigated individual has previously been indicted for criminal activities.
Once the intelligence has been collected, it will be reviewed by senior military officers, who finally decide who makes it to the last shortlist that the public will share.
The shortlisted candidates will then be called for an interview, which will entail their academic background, public life and soft skills for the job.
Civilian staff are often restricted regarding what they can do or where they can visit while in military barracks. Some civilian staff are also taken through medical examinations to determine their fitness for the job.
Many candidates have previously failed the KDF recruitment process due to small things like the inability to concentrate.
Unlike the disciplined staff, whose recruitment and training are much more intense, civilian staff are allowed to work within KDF without observing the many rules that soldiers must follow daily.
"All the General Service Officer Cadets including the Undergraduate degree holders are required to present themselves for the recruitment at the Recruitment Centres at their respective Sub-Counties during the stated 3 recruitment dates as applicable to them with the relevant documents listed in the advertisement," read KDF statement during a previous recruitment drive in February 2021.
