Nationwide Recruitment KDF 2025 chief recruiting officer Brigadia Samuel Kimani (R) speaking to recruits during the recruitment process at KMC Grounds in Athi River sub-county, Machakos county on October 21, 2025.
The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) has introduced a digital Recruitment
Management System to ensure transparency and fairness in the ongoing nationwide
recruitment process.
This is according to the Nationwide KDF 2025
Chief Recruiting Officer, Brigadier General Samuel Kimani, who emphasized that
the process is free, fair, and merit-based.
“To ensure transparency and fairness, the KDF
has introduced digital tools — the Recruitment Management System — used for
biometrics and capturing personnel data,” Kimani said.
Kimani addressed the press while presiding over
the KDF recruitment exercise at the KMC Grounds in Athi River Sub-county,
Machakos County, on Tuesday.
He explained that the newly introduced
Recruitment Management System allows prospective candidates’ personal information
and documents to be scanned, after which a KDF calling letter is generated
instantly.
“So, this time round, we don’t have physical
calling letters. This is one of the ways unscrupulous people have been using to
sell fake letters to unsuspecting members of the public,” Kimani said.
Kimani disclosed that the exercise has so far
proceeded smoothly across the country since it began.
The KDF national recruitment exercise for 2025
began on October 13, 2025, for General Duty Recruits and Defence Forces Constables,
with physical recruitment taking place across designated centres in every
county until October 25, 2025.
However, online applications for Specialist
Officers, GSO Cadets, and Tradesmen/Women closed on October 12, 2025.
The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) are the armed
forces of the Republic of Kenya, comprising three main branches: the Kenya
Army, the Kenya Navy, and the Kenya Air Force.
The Kenya Army is the largest branch, responsible for land-based defence
operations, including border patrol, internal security, counterterrorism, and
peacekeeping efforts.
The Kenya Navy is tasked with defending and
maintaining the sovereignty of Kenya’s waters, while the Kenya Air Force is
responsible for protecting and maintaining the sovereignty of Kenya’s airspace.
The KDF’s primary mission is to defend and
protect Kenya’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national interests.
It also engages in peacekeeping
missions abroad and assists in maintaining internal peace and security.
The KDF operates under the Kenya Defence
Forces Act of 2012 and falls under the Ministry of Defence.
The President of Kenya serves as the Commander-in-Chief, while the Chief of
Defence Forces is the highest-ranking military officer.
Kimani noted that the recruitment exercise is
currently in its second week.
“So far, the recruitment process has been smooth. We have seen a high
turnout of youth coming for recruitment, and we have had no incidents,” he
said.
He explained that KDF recruits periodically
based on available vacancies and specific skill requirements within the forces.
“The recruitment is guided by the slots and
vacancies available and the skills we need to fill in the KDF. The process in
Athi River Sub-county is ongoing, and once it’s complete, we’ll know the final
number recruited,” Kimani said.
Kimani acknowledged that the high turnout
compared to limited available slots remains one of the main challenges during
recruitment.
He reiterated that the KDF maintains a
rigorous, free, fair, and merit-based recruitment process.
“The recruitment is rigorous, and only the most qualified candidates are
selected. We understand that many youth want to join KDF, and there is a lot of
desperation,” Kimani said.
He encouraged unsuccessful candidates not to
lose hope, reminding them that there are many other ways to serve the country.
“If you didn’t succeed this time, you can still serve Kenya in other
capacities. The KDF age limit is between 18 and 26 years,” he said.
Kimani urged members of the public to report any cases of corruption in the
recruitment process to KDF hotlines for appropriate action.