KDF Mass Recruitment Postponed

On Thursday, October 17, the mass recruitment of servicemen and women into the Kenya Defense Forces was postponed.

The Ministry of Defence had on Wednesday, October 16, announced through KDF officials would visit recruitment centres in county headquarters to conduct the exercise.

The process was to take place between October 28, 2019, and October 30, 2019. However, the recruitment process came to an unseen postponement after members of parliament and Defence CS Raychelle Omamo disagreed. 

The Members of Parliament disagreed with Defence CS Raychelle Omamo on the venues of the recruitment county centres on Thursday, October 17.

MPs objected the idea of county recruitment centres, arguing that the process should have started at the ward level. New dates for recruitment are yet to be announced.

In a phone call with Kenyans.co.ke, Citizen TV's Robinson Njogu confirmed the postponement of the mass recruitment exercise.

"The Parliamentary Committee on Defence wanted the recruitment to be conducted from the ward levels and not the county levels as KDF had planned. The CS in her response said the recruitment will be postponed so that the provisions of the committee can be actualised," Njogu informed.

During a past pass out ceremony at Moi Barrack in Eldoret on September 11, President Uhuru Kenyatta lauded the high number of female soldiers that graduated. 

“I am pleased also to note that a good number of today’s graduands are female. They are here on merit and stand as testament that they are as good and as capable that of any other soldier in the service,” he spoke.

The head of state also rallied KDF to contribute to the fulfilment of his Big 4 Agenda. 

“I am pleased, in that regard, to note the efforts the Ministry of Defense is making to expand the current defence industrial production,” President Kenyatta expressed. 

President Uhuru Kenyatta presiding over the pass out ceremony of KDF recruits at Moi Barracks in Eldoret on September 11, 2019