The Defence Cabinet Secretary, Soipan Tuya, has assured that the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) recruitment exercise will continue as planned despite court cases filed by Nairobi County lawmakers while issuing new guidelines on the recruitment exercise.
The military on Monday kick-started the recruitment process for General Service Officer (GSO) cadets – regular and graduate, Specialist Officers, General Duty Recruits, Tradesmen and Women, and Defence Forces Constables. The exercise is set to run until October 25.
Tuya, who was speaking during the launch of the recruitment process, said that the ministry has reinitiated a crackdown against individuals extorting funds from the recruits to ensure that every Kenyan gets a chance to participate in the exercise.
She said that anyone found engaging in such acts will be apprehended immediately and legal action taken against him/her. The National Intelligence Service, DCI, EACC, and the police have all been involved in the recruitment to curb fraud and bribery, according to Tuya.
The CS said that Kenyans should report any cases of fraud or bribery related to the recruitment process through the two official hotlines: 0726 419 706 and 0726 419 709.
On the other hand, Tuya has warned recruits against providing forged documents during the exercise. Anyone found doing this will be apprehended, prosecuted, and disqualified.
Successful candidates, who will be notified through the recruitment centers, shall also undergo further vetting to ensure that they are competent for the job.
“We are flagging off this exercise with a clear message: the Kenya Defence Forces recruitment is free, fair, and open to all eligible Kenyans. Any form of bribery or canvassing will be met with apprehension and prosecution.”
“Let this be a moment of pride, not fear. The KDF stands for discipline, dignity, and duty, and every recruit must reflect those values,” she added.
Court Battle
Nairobi lawmakers, led by Senator Edwin Sifuna, recently filed a court case accusing the Ministry of Defence of failing to allocate enough KDF recruitment centres in Nairobi.
Tuya said that the recruitment will continue until the court gives a directive on the way forward.
The CS, however, assured that the ministry is actively engaging in talks with the Nairobi lawmakers to brainstorm on how the issues they raised can be addressed without interfering with the recruitment exercise.
"We have been on an engagement with the leaders of Nairobi county, particularly the MPs, regarding the designated recruitment centre, to address the issues they raised," Tuya said.
"The case is alive in court, but no directive has been given to stop the recruitment of the court, so we will be proceeding, and thereafter we will be looking at the outcome of the case, and we will obey any directive that will be given," he added.
