Authorities have arrested 99 would be recruits at the training school (RTS), Moi Barracks in Eldoret on Sunday for presenting fake admission letters to join Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
The youth include nine females part of hundreds of others that had reported for the commencement of the eight-month-long training.
The recruits are said to have been defrauded in what military officials are calling a recruitment scam and warned that the numbers of duped youth had soared as compared to last year.
“Before the start of the recruitment exercise last year, we warned the public against unscrupulous individuals going around the country that they are agents of KDF. It is said that many young people fell into the trap and paid millions only to be arrested when they report commencing training,” said KDF Public Affairs officer Col Paul Njuguna.
He said KDF does not conduct other recruitments outside the 322 gazetted centres as announced in the local dailies.
He said Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) officers were questioning the suspects and they would be prosecuted as soon as investigations concluded.
“The suspects gave out Sh300,000 to secure the admission letters. We have involved the DCI, National Intelligence Service and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to ensure due recruitment process was followed,” Njuguna said.
Last year 70 people were also arrested after presenting fake calling letters to the military officers at the training school and were charged with forgery, possessing a forged calling letter and presenting fake documents at the recruit school.
