The ghosts of the controversial 2023 Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) recruitment could come back to haunt high-ranking officers involved in the exercise with MPs pushing for investigations.
The development comes after the Senate tasked its National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations committee to look into recruitment discrepancies witnessed during the exercise.
Awakening the past ghosts, Kajiado Senator Seki Lenku said the committee chaired by Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo should inquire into malpractices that marred the 2023 exercise.
The senator cited the case of one Reuben Ngige Muthoni from Ngaimurunya Ward in Kajiado North who suffered the agony of missing out on joining the forces despite being shortlisted and subsequently issued with a confirmation letter.
Mr Lenku said the complainant was shortlisted and issued with a confirmation letter to report to the recruitment centre during a recruitment exercise at Ngong Stadium in 2023.
Youths during the Kenya Defence Force (KDF) recruitment at Molo Stadium in Nakuru County on September 4, 2023. A man seeking to join KDF collapsed during the recruitment in Kirinyaga County and later died while receiving treatment in hospital.
Photo credit: John Njoroge | Nation Media Group
“However, despite having his biometric and identification documents taken, he has never received any further communication nor has his identification card returned,” said Senator Lenku.
In light of the case, the Senator Dullo-led committee has now been asked to commence investigations into the circumstances surrounding the controversial exercise and provide a list of all candidates by name, identification, home county and sub-county who were selected across all recruitment centres in the 2023 exercise.
The committee is also expected to obtain and review the final list of the successful candidates who have since completed training at the Defence Academy including details of their respective postings.
“The committee should cause an inquiry into circumstances under which the complainant was issued with a recruitment letter differing in content from that of his peers, particularly regarding the acknowledgement of ID card retention,” said Mr Lenku.
An instructor conducts drills for youths who turned up for the KDF recruitment at Chaka stadium in Nyeri County. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
“They should also examine the protocol followed during the collection of identification documents and fingerprints and determine whether the procedure was informally applied to all candidates,” he added.
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale added that the committee should tell the Senate the regional composition, ethnic community and county representation in the KDF.
“This is very sensitive because it comes hot on the heels of a court ruling by the High Court which found that KRA only two communities are favoured in terms of employment,” said the Senate Majority Whip.
“This problem is also in KDF. We want our young people to enjoy service to the nation irrespective of where they come from,” he added.
In the 2023 KRA recruitment of revenue service assistants, Kalenjin and Kikuyu communities accounted for 788 out of the 1,406 recruits with the court later nullifying the exercise after public backlash.
Justice William Musyoka said the recruitment violated the law regarding diversity and inclusion as a bigger percentage, 57 percent, of the jobs was allocated to only two communities.
KDF Senior Recruiting officer Lt Col Mayenga addresses women who showed up for recruitment at Nyahururu Stadium in Laikipia on May 15, 2017. KDF officials said the activity will be above board. PHOTO | JOHN GITHINJI
KDF recruitment of servicemen and women, and constables has over the years attracted public outcry over discrimination, unfair hiring practices, and corruption, with some claiming bribery and favouritism.
However, the 2023 recruitment exercise was marred with allegations of regional favouritism with allegations that a huge percentage of the recruits were from only two dominant ethnic groups who had just come into power a year before.
Last month, Emuhaya MP Omboko Milemba claimed that in the last recruitment process, no candidate from his constituency got a chance.
He alleged that those who got the opportunities were ferried from outside the region thereby denying locals a chance.
“Ask the national government administration officers here if they can trace any child from here who got the opportunity to join the forces,” said Mr Milemba.
The MP’s statement comes as Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya announced that the government is crafting a tamper proof process for recruiting the uniformed officers.
Ms Tuya said that once concluded, the standard process will be made public as the government strives to check recurrent allegations of malpractices and favouritism during the recruitment of KDF officers.
“We have heard the complaints and murmurs and we are panel-beating the process to minimise those malpractices,” said the CS.
She also promised that the recruitment process in different services shall reflect the diversity of the Kenyan people.
