A man posing as a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) brigadier has been arrested in his Kilimani apartment after deceiving youth with fake recruitment letters to the Recruit Training School (RTS) in Eldoret. The arrest, announced on Tuesday, November 18, was carried out by Parklands detectives who discovered the suspect dressed in full Kenya Air Force regalia.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the impersonator had been preying on young Kenyans, offering them slots in the KDF in exchange for money. “The suspect upgraded himself from a civilian to ‘KDF brigadier’ without ever seeing a parade square and had been conning hopeful recruits with fake letters,” the DCI noted.
During the raid, police recovered multiple incriminating items, including documents bearing the Ministry of Defence logo, six fake admission letters with identical serial numbers, seven fingerprint forms, and a Yilmaz Defence Industry ammunition manufacturing manual. Additional materials used in the scam were also seized.
The arrest comes weeks after the official KDF recruitment exercise, which ran from October 13 to October 25. The exercise sought qualified Kenyans for various roles, including General Service Officer cadets, Specialist Officers, General Duty Recruits, Tradesmen and Women, and Defence Forces Constables. KDF emphasized that genuine recruitment is free, fair, and transparent, and applicants are required to apply online with their original National ID, KRA PIN, and academic certificates.
The DCI warned the public against shortcuts in joining the security sector and urged Kenyans to report suspicious recruitment schemes. The impersonator remains in police custody, pending arraignment in court.
This case highlights the growing threat of scams targeting youth aspiring to join the armed forces and serves as a reminder to verify all recruitment communications directly through official KDF channels.
