A senior Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) who was overseeing the recruitment exercise at Embakasi Garrison on Monday, September 18 dismissed claims that it would be marred by malpractices.
Speaking to Citizen TV, the KDF officer insisted that the exercise was meant to pick the best candidates from former National Youth Service (NYS) officers.
“We are not talking about numbers, we are just picking the best. We have not had any cases of malpractice and this is a free and fair exercise,” the KDF officer stated.
This was after over 7,000 former NYS graduates showed up for the exercise at Embakasi Garrison.
Videos of the scene on Monday showed hordes of people spilling across the main highway.
The huge turnout was after KDF in a daily newspaper invited former NYS graduates for recruitment.
Faith Chebet, one of the candidates, expressed her frustration, saying despite meeting all the requirements, she was surprised to be disqualified.
To be eligible, prospective recruits needed to be former NYS trainees, possess a certificate of good conduct and have the necessary educational documents.
“Initially, the qualifying grade was D in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam, but when we arrived here today, it was changed to D+. That’s not fair,” Chebet stated.
The NYS trainees also requested the military to prioritize individuals who are approaching the age of 30. The age limit for joining KDF for NYS recruits is 29.
So far, KDF has shortlisted prospective Specialist Officer Cadets as well as Tradesmen and women while the recruitment of constables is meanwhile set to take place on October 27.
