Tattoos, stammering will fail you in KDF recruitment

Vice Chief of Defence Forces Lieutenant General Jonah Mwangi revealed in a recent TV interview that certain characteristics, such as stammering, tattoos, and teeth discolouration, could lead to disqualification from consideration for the Kenya Defence Force (KDF) recruitment.

Speaking to Citizen TV  Lt General Mwangi remarked, “People who stammer don’t do it out of their own volition, but again, it is competitive. This is a career; it’s not just any job. It requires very good communication.”

Highlighting the significance of clear communication within the military, Lieutenant General Mwangi underscored that candidates should possess the ability to communicate effectively, particularly in high-pressure situations.

Stammering, he noted, could impede effective communication and therefore impact the candidate’s suitability for the armed forces.

Tattoos, often seen as a form of personal expression, were also included in the list of criteria. Lieutenant-General Mwangi explained that those with visible tattoos on their bodies would be disqualified, as the KDF’s recruitment policy prohibits the markings.

Meanwhile, Kenyans on social media are taking a trip down memory lane, sharing anecdotes and reminiscing about the various reasons they found themselves excluded from past recruitment drives.

One Twitter user, Omwamba, took to his page and asked, “What did they tell you when you were disqualified from the KDF Recruitment line?” sparking a very interesting conversation.

Captain, Dominic Omondi, replied, “I was told niko na akili mingi niende nisaidie Kenya kwingine,” (I was told that I’m too intelligent to go help Kenya elsewhere).

“I was told ‘We are recruiting servicemen, not militia’. This was because I had tattoos,” Kijana ya Koinange said.

Recently, women in Lamu Central decried being locked out of KDF recruitment.

The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officially kicked off the recruitment of new officers across the country on August 28.

While addressing the media during the launch of the exercise in Nairobi, Lt Gen. Mwangi urged young Kenyans willing to serve to turn up in large numbers at 374 recruitment centres across the country for the recruitment, which will run until 8 September 2023.

He added that candidates reporting to recruitment centres without certificates of good conduct will be allowed saying that KDF has its own mechanisms to establish criminal records.

VIDEO BY SAMMY LUTTA

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