The government is working on a watertight military recruitment system after admitting that fraudsters have exploited loopholes to dupe desperate Kenyans.
Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya said some fraudsters have been posing as military generals with full uniforms and ranks to take advantage of Kenyans during military recruitment.
The minister cited a case sometime last year where a full recruitment notice was published with all the logos of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and the ministry, but no recruitment took place.
To address the problem, she said the Defence Council, which she chairs, is working on a watertight recruitment system that will plug the loopholes.
She said the system will ensure a tamper-proof process for the recruitment of uniformed officers and once finalised, the standard process will be made public as the government seeks to check recurring allegations of malpractices and favouritism in the recruitment of KDF officers.
“There are known challenges that we need to address concerning recruitment. We are working round the clock and I will soon give details on measures we are taking to seal the loopholes that exist with our recruitment processes,” said CS Tuya.
The Defence minister was responding to a question from Tharaka Nithi Senator Mwenda Gataya, who condemned fraudsters who fleece desperate Kenyans of their money with the false promise of helping them get their children into the military.
Senator Gataya said some parents have gone to the extent of selling their property to raise money for their sons and daughters to join the military, only to end up disappointed.
“There is a very old tradition in this country that whenever we have recruitment, especially military recruitment, there is a lot of hue and cry from the public. We have had cases where individuals have lost money to fraudsters who ask them for money in the pretext that they will have their children serve in the military,” Mr Gataya said.
“What is the ministry doing to ensure this bad habit is stopped once and for all? It has been with us for a very long time and it is now cancerous.”
The first-term senator lamented that the unfortunate practice has created an imbalance in recruitment where only those who can afford to pay for enlistment are recruited.
CS Tuya acknowledged the disparities created by such practices. However, she pointed out that any recruitment by the national security organs must reflect the diversity of the Kenyan people and must be in equitable proportions as one of the key principles of national security.
Earlier this month, the Senate’s National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations Committee was tasked to investigate discrepancies in recruitment witnessed during the 2023 KDF recruitment exercise.
This came after senators, led by Seki Lenku (Kajiado) called for investigations into malpractices that marred the exercise.
Senator Lenku cited the case of Reuben Ngige Muthoni from Ngaimurunya Ward in Kajiado North, who was shortlisted and subsequently issued with a confirmation letter, but did not join the forces.
“Despite having his biometric and identification documents taken, he has never received any further communication nor has his identification card been returned,” said Senator Lenku.
KDF recruitment of servicemen and women, and constables has over the years attracted public outcry over discrimination, unfair hiring practices, and corruption, with some alleging bribery and favouritism.
However, the 2023 recruitment was marred by allegations of regional favouritism, with claims that a large percentage of recruits came from two dominant ethnic groups.
In light of the case, the committee has been asked to investigate the circumstances surrounding the controversial exercise and to provide a list of all candidates, by name, identification, home county and sub-county, who were selected at all recruitment centres in that year.
The committee is also expected to obtain and verify the final list of successful candidates who have since completed their training at the Defence Academy, including details of their respective postings.
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale added that the committee should inform the Senate about the regional composition, ethnic community and county representation in the KDF.
“This problem is also in KDF. We want our young people to enjoy service to the nation irrespective of where they come from,” said Mr Khalwale.
