A storm is brewing over the upcoming Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) recruitment after Nairobi legislators accused Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya of sidelining the capital in the exercise scheduled for October.
The leaders now threaten to table a censure motion against her if the recruitment plan is not revised.
The MPs, led by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, argue that Nairobi residents are being discriminated against since only three recruitment centres have been designated for the entire county.
They say this unfairly disadvantages thousands of eligible youth and warned that the entire national exercise could be disrupted unless the issue is addressed.
"What we are saying to the CS is we are going to censure her. We wrote to her, she has not responded and we want her to tell us what is this discrimination against Nairobi," one MP stated.
The lawmakers also cautioned that the limited venues could expose the exercise to infiltration by outsiders, creating unfair competition for Nairobi’s large population of job seekers.
"If this does not change we will stop the recruitment of KDF officers in the entire country unless Nairobi is treated in the same manner as the other 46 counties," another legislator added.
A letter signed by 18 Nairobi MPs, submitted by Embakasi West legislator and National Assembly Minority Whip Mark Mwenje, condemned the plan as unconstitutional. They said it goes against the principles of fairness and non-discrimination, stressing that Nairobi’s recruitment programme was not comparable to what other counties had been allocated.
According to the schedule, Nyayo Stadium has been designated to cover Embakasi East, West, North and South, as well as Kamukunji, Makadara and Starehe constituencies.
Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani will cater for recruits from Kasarani, Ruaraka, Mathare and Roysambu. Jamhuri Grounds will host those from Dagoretti North, Dagoretti South, Lang’ata, Kibra and Westlands.
The legislators pointed out that while most counties have sub-county centres, Nairobi’s exercise has been limited to three major venues, forcing thousands to converge in few locations. They warned this could lead to logistical challenges and chaos.
KDF had on September 15 announced the nationwide exercise, inviting professionals and aspiring officers to participate in its 2025 recruitment programme. The exercise is expected to run throughout October.