By Rodgers Omondi, Busia
Youth have been urged to take part in the ongoing Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) recruitment exercise as a way of addressing the unemployment crisis in the country.
Speaking at Busia County Stadium during the recruitment for Teso South Sub-county, recruitment officer Lieutenant Colonel B.M Kirima said the exercise provides a valuable opportunity for young people to join the forces.
“A total of 250 youth have turned up for the KDF recruitment in Teso South Sub-county. This exercise is going to offer jobs to those who have been unemployed. Those who are determined and focused to join the forces will get the opportunity. That is why I am calling on youths who meet the requirements to come out and take part,” he said.
Kirima noted that the recruitment process has been digitalized to enhance transparency and eliminate corruption.
“The process is happening in a free and fair way because of the smooth guidelines and procedures in place. We have a policy of zero tolerance to corruption, and our digital system automatically locks out those who do not meet the qualifications. This ensures we only get potential and well-qualified personnel within the KDF,” he said.
He added that digital systems have also helped curb document forgery by verifying the authenticity of documents presented by applicants.
“We have not encountered cases of document forgery. However, some youths turned up with photocopies instead of original documents. Most complied with the requirements, which included presenting original birth certificates, KRA certificates, national IDs, and KCSE certificates,” Kirima explained.
He further pointed out that, unlike in past recruitments, there have been no cases of youth from neighboring Uganda attempting to participate by posing as Kenyans.
“Our focus is on youth from Teso South Sub-county. Since the exercise is happening in all sub-counties, our team is very keen to ensure that only local residents take part,” he said.
