The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) has announced countrywide recruitment of officers for various carders between August and September 2023.
In an advert through the Ministry of Defence, KDF said it is looking for General Service Officer (GSO) Cadets (Regular and Graduate degree holders), Specialist Officers, General Duty Recruits, Tradesmen/women, and Defence Forces Constables.
Further, KDF warned candidates against engaging in practices aimed at influencing their chances of recruitment, maintaining that the process is free of charge.
“The Kenya Defence Forces recruitment drive is free to all eligible candidates. Members of the public are warned against engaging in malpractices with a view to ‘influence’ the recruitment process and are encouraged to report any suspicious activities or characters to the nearest Police Station or Military Camp or call the following Hotline numbers: 0726419706/0726419709.
Bribery and other acts of corruption are against the law, and anyone suspected of being culpable of such will be arrested and prosecuted in a court of law. KDF recruitment is free to all,” read part of the advert.
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Requirements for KDF Recruitment
According to KDF, the prospective candidates willing to join the Forces must meet the following conditions and academic qualifications:
General Conditions
Be a Kenyan citizen.
Be a holder of a valid Kenyan National Identity (ID) Card. Additionally, the candidates must bring with them an original and four (4) copies of their National ID Card, KRA PIN Certificate and Academic certificates.
Regarding age, one must be between 18 and 26 years for GSO Cadets and General Duty Recruits, not above 30 years of age for Specialist Officers and Tradesmen/women and not above 39 years of age for Chaplains/Imams.
Should not have a criminal record.
Physical requirements
According to KDF, candidates must be physically fit. In particular, men should be 1.60m (5ft 3in) tall with a minimum weight of 54.55kg.
On the other hand, KDF is looking for female candidates with a minimum height of 1.52m (5ft) and should weigh not less than 50kg.
In addition, for both men and women, the candidates must have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of below 3. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “(BMI) is a person’s weight in kilograms (or pounds) divided by the square of height in meters (or feet). A high BMI can indicate high body fat. BMI screens for weight categories that may lead to health problems, but it does not diagnose the body fatness or health of an individual.
Moreover, female candidates must not be pregnant at the time of recruitment and during the entire duration of training.
In terms of medical, KDF said candidates must be medically fit and skin must be healthy devoid of large or deep scars and tattoos.
Besides, specialist Officers and Tradesmen/women should have a minimum of two (2) years practicing experience in their field of specialization from the date of registration with the relevant regulatory/statutory body in Kenya.
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Minimum Academic Qualifications
General Service Officer (GSO) Cadets. Must hold a minimum mean grade of B (Plain) in KCSE with C+ (Plus) in English, Mathematics and one (1) Science subject. The training period for this category will cover three (3) years leading to a BSc degree in Defence and Security Studies upon completion.
General Service Officer (GSO) Cadet Graduate Degree Holders. Must hold the minimum requirement to qualify as GSO Cadet and be a bachelor’s degree holder from a recognized University/Institution. The training period for this category will be fifteen (15) months.
Specialist Officers. Must hold the minimum requirement to qualify as GSO Cadet except for Chaplains/Imams who must hold a minimum mean grade of C+ (Plus) in KCSE. Must be a degree holder from a recognized University/Institution and be registered with a regulatory/statutory body where applicable in any of the disciplines. The training period for Specialist Officers will be six (6) months.
Service Members (General Duty) Recruits. Must hold a minimum mean grade of D (Plain) in KCSE.
Tradesmen/women. Prospective candidates willing to apply must have a minimum mean grade of C (Plain) in KCSE, a relevant diploma or above from a recognized institution and be registered with the relevant statutory bodies, where applicable.
KDF will also consider candidates with a minimum mean grade of D+ (Plus) in KCSE and either a relevant Certificate with Government Trade Test Grade II or Craft II from a recognized institution.
At the same time, National Youth Service (NYS) trained Technicians or Artisans who meet the above requirements are encouraged to apply.
Additionally, the KDF will conduct recruitment of potential National Youth Service (NYS) personnel from 18 to 22 September 2023 at Embakasi Garrison, Nairobi.
Application and Screening of KDF recruits
Importantly, all interested candidates for Specialist Officers and Tradesmen/women vacancies MUST apply online, visit: https://applications.mod.go.ke to submit your application. The deadline for applications for these categories is 20th August 2023.
KDF said shortlisted candidates will be notified through the print media between 17th to 24th September 2023.
On the other hand, the KDF Recruiting Teams consisting of the Kenya Army, the Kenya Air Force and the Kenya Navy will be visiting the Recruitment Centres countrywide from August 28 to September 8 to recruit General Service Officer (GSO) Cadets, General Service Officer Cadets – Graduate degree holders, General Duty Recruits and Defence Forces Constabulary: