The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on Saturday arrested a middle-aged man accused of conning unsuspecting parents millions of shillings by selling fake Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) recruitment letters.
According to the Commission, the suspect capitalised on the parents hope in getting their children secure positions in KDF whose recruitment drive began on August 28, 2023, and ended on September 8, 2023.
In turn, the suspect sold the fake letters at a cost of between Ksh400,000 to Ksh500,000 - funds which several parents paid.
In a particular case, the suspect demanded Ksh450,000 from one parent who paid Ksh300,000 on September 11, 2023, and was issued the fake letter.
The complainant was asked to pay the balance on September 15, 2023, in order to be “cleared to sign all remaining admission forms,” in readiness for "direct recruitment" to the Forces.
The police, however, caught up with the suspect in Nyeri and arrested him as he was about to con two victims who were ready to pay Ksh500,000 each.
After intensive investigations, the suspect was arrested in Sagana and processed at the EACC Central Regional Office in Nyeri.
The commission urged Kenyans to submit more information against the suspect at the nearest EACC office while warning Kenyans not to fall victim for such scammers who prey on unsuspecting victims.
The KDF recruitment drive aimed at selecting qualified Kenyans to several positions in the military including the General Service Officer Cadets, Graduate General Service Officer Cadets and General Duty Recruits.
Those who applied are advised to confirm their names from the shortlisted candidates available at the Ministry of Defence website at www.mod.go.ke and access the list in the downloads section.
Those eligible for the Ex-National Youth Service category will report to Embakasi Garrison on September 18, 2023 for interviews whereas those in the Defence category will head to Kahawa Garisson, Nairobi on November 27, 2023.
The case highlights the dire situation where unsuspecting Kenyans become targets of fraudulent employment opportunities within the country.
According to the 2023 State of Omnichannel Fraud Report, over four in 10 (42 per cent) Kenyans said they had been targeted by fraud from September to December 2022.
