KDF has scheduled nationwide recruitment for December 2026.
The military will recruit cadets, specialist officers, general duty personnel and technical staff, with biometric checks replacing calling letters.
The Kenya Defence Forces has announced nationwide KDF recruitment for December 2026, with online applications closing on December 12. The deadline covers General Service Officer cadets, specialist officers and tradesmen and women.
Applicants must apply through the Ministry of Defence recruitment portal. The ministry will publish shortlisted candidates on its website and in print media between December 21 and 25.
Meanwhile, Kenya Army, Kenya Air Force and Kenya Navy teams will select general duty recruits at designated centres. Those selections will follow an official recruitment itinerary.
KDF recruitment requirements and training
Applicants must hold Kenyan citizenship and valid national identity cards, with no criminal record. They must also present original identification, academic and KRA PIN documents, plus four copies of each required document.
Regular cadets must be aged 18–23, while graduate cadets, general duty recruits and tradespeople must be 18–26. Specialist officers must not exceed 30 years, while medical consultants can apply up to age 35. Chaplains and Imams must be 39 or younger; Catechists and Maalims must not exceed 35.
Regular cadets need a KCSE mean grade of B plain, with C+ in English, Mathematics and one science. Their three-year training leads to a Bachelor of Science degree in Defence and Security Studies. Graduate cadets need the same KCSE grades and a relevant recognised bachelor’s degree; their training lasts 15 months.
General duty applicants need at least D plain, while National Youth Service training offers an added advantage. Diploma trades applicants need C minus; certificate applicants need D plus and relevant Government Trade Test Grade II or Craft Certificate II qualifications.
Specialist vacancies cover chaplaincy, law and medicine, with seven months of training. Both specialist officers and tradespeople need two years’ relevant experience, counted from registration with the applicable regulatory body.
Biometric checks and warning against recruitment fraud
KDF will use biometric verification as its sole identification method during recruitment and reporting for training. It will therefore issue no calling letters at either stage. Successful candidates must also undergo final verification at designated military training institutions.
The military says recruitment is free and warns applicants against bribery or using intermediaries. Corruption will attract arrest and prosecution. Applicants should also report malpractice, including fake calling letters, to police stations, military camps or hotline 0183749488.
In addition, candidates must meet physical and medical standards. Men need a minimum height of 1.60 metres and weight of 54.55 kilogrammes. For women, the minimums are 1.52 metres and 50 kilogrammes.
All candidates must have a body mass index between 18.5 and 30.0. Female applicants must not be pregnant during recruitment or throughout training.
