Over 7,000 youths on Monday, September 18, 2023, thronged Embakasi Garrison grounds in Nairobi seeking to be recruited into the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
This is following KDF’s advertisement targeting graduates of the National Youth Service (NYS).
While KDF is seeking to recruit 350 officers, thousands of jobless youths showed up for the recruitment exercise.
In videos shared widely on social media, hordes of people are seen in the Embakasi Garrison grounds with some spilling across the main highway on the Eastern Bypass.
The drive targets individuals who have undergone the National Youth Service (NYS) training and is slated to run till Friday, September 2023.
In an announcement last week, KDF noted that eligible applicants should possess a clearance letter from NYS and have scored a minimum of grade D plain in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).
“Good evening members, KDF will conduct recruitment at Embakasi Garrison on Monday, September 18 to September 22 to enlist only NYS potentials,” read the message that went viral on social media.
“Requirements are D plain and above, NYS discharge letter with credit of character very good. Please pass that information to the relevant candidates.”
The recruitment succeeds a recent KDF recruitment drive for specialist officers as well as tradesmen and women which closed on Friday, September 8. The list of shortlisted candidates was released a week later on Saturday.
A total of 1,606 candidates are in the running to join the force, 347 of which qualified for the position of specialist officers while 1,259 seek to fill the tradesmen and women position.
After the recruitment of NYS potentials is over, the force will embark on interviews of the shortlisted candidates beginning Monday of the following week.
