KDF Recruitment 2026: Full List of Venues, Dates, Requirements & How to Apply

The Kenya Defence Forces has announced a nationwide recruitment exercise that will see eligible Kenyans join the military under different recruitment categories.

The nationwide exercise will see successful Kenyans join the Kenya Army, Kenya Navy and Kenya Air Force in various ranks.

A notice published on Ministry of Defence website indicates that the recruitment is open for General Service Officer (GSO) Cadets, Specialist Officers, and other specialized roles in fields such as Education, Engineering, ICT, Mass Communication, Legal, and Supply Chain Management.

The physical exercise for General Duty Recruits will be conducted across all the 47 counties, with the recruitment running from December 14 to December 28, 2026, across designated centres.

In Nairobi, the recruitment will be conducted at designated centers in the sub counties, with Moi Internationational Sports Centre Kasarani serving Kasarani on December 15 and Roysambu on December 16, 2026. 

Other recruitment centres are as indicated below:

According to the recruitment advertisement, candidates must meet the prescribed medical, physical and academic requirements under each recruitment category.

They must also present the following documents during the exercise:

• Original National Identity Card.

• Four photocopies of their National Identity Card.

• Four photocopies of their KRA PIN certificate.

• Four photocopies of their academic certificates.

General Duty recruits must be Kenyan citizens aged between 18 and 26 years with no criminal record and must have scored a minimum of D plain in KCSE.

The minimum height requirement has been set at 1.60 metres for men and 1.52 metres for women with the minimum weight requirement set at 54.55kg and 50kg for men and women respectively, with all applicants required to have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of between 18.5 and 30.

Female applicants must not be pregnant at the time of recruitment or during the entire training period.

Applicants seeking to join KDF as GSO Cadets, Specialist Officers and Tradesmen and Women are required to submit their applications online.

They are required to submit their applications through the Ministry of Defence recruitment portal at: https://recruit.mod.go.ke

The deadline for submitting online applications is December 12, 2026 with the shortlisted candidates set to be announced through its website and print media between December 21 and December 25, 2026.

Candidates have also been cautioned against recruitment scams, with KDF making it clear that the exercise will be conducted free of charge and in a transparent manner in which successful candidates will be selected purely on merit.

KDF further warned that any bribery or attempts to influence the recruitment process are criminal offences that could lead to arrest and prosecution.

Complaints or information about recruitment malpractice should be reported to the nearest police station or military camp, or through the dedicated hotline.