Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya has revealed that the defense council she chairs is developing a new recruitment system to protect Kenyans from fraudsters who dupe the youth with fake recruitment notices.
Speaking during a Senate appearance on Wednesday, March 19, the CS claimed that last year, the ministry received claims that some individuals, wearing full uniforms and other credentials, had been masquerading as KDF generals and issuing fake recruitment notifications, which appeared to be legit, to unsuspecting Kenyans.
"Sometime late last year, we got a fully-fledged notification of recruitment with all the logos of the KDF and the ministry published out there and we had no such recruitment going on. So we have fraudsters out there who dupe Kenyans into believing that we have Kenyans out there masquerading as generals out there with full uniforms, full ranks, and the likes," she stated
According to the CS, the new recruitment system aims to fix the dents in the KDF recruitment process, which conmen regularly take advantage of, and ensure that Kenyans get a legitimate chance to join the forces.
"The defense council, which I chair, is currently working on a watertight system of recruitment because one of the key principles of national security is that the recruitment of the national security organs must reflect the diversity of Kenyans and must be in equitable proportions," she stated.
For years, conmen have recurrently taken advantage of the loopholes in the KDF recruitment process, swindling Kenyans out of their hard-earned money with the promise to help them join the forces.
Last year in August, the Ministry of Defence issued a stern warning to the public against falling prey to a fraudulent recruitment advertisement circulating on social media platforms.
According to the ministry, official recruitment drives are announced through credible channels, including mainstream media, the Ministry’s official website, and KDF’s verified social media accounts.
The ministry stressed that the process remains free of charge for all eligible candidates, contrary to the suggestions made in the fraudulent advertisements.
Kenyans were urged to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activities or individuals claiming to be conducting recruitment on behalf of the KDF.
The public was further encouraged to report such cases to the nearest police station or military camp.
The surge in scams coincides with rising unemployment, as reflected in data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).
Additionally, despite attracting thousands of young Kenyans at various gazetted recruitment centers across the country, there have been recurrent claims of malpractices ranging from bribery, favoritism, and nepotism.
Tuya, on February 24, 2025, asserted that the government is keen to check the recurrent allegations of malpractices and favoritism during the recruitment process.
