The Kenya Defence Forces announced a nationwide recruitment exercise to be held in December 2026, targeting General Service Officer (GSO) Cadets, Specialist Officers, General Duty recruits and tradesmen and women.

Applicants must be Kenyan citizens with a valid national ID, clean criminal record, medical fitness and meet the physical standards set by the KDF.

Regular GSO Cadets must be aged 18‑23, hold a KCSE mean grade of B (Plain) with at least C+ in English, Mathematics and Science.

Graduate Cadets need the same KCSE grades, a relevant bachelor's degree and must be 18‑26 years old; training for this stream lasts fifteen months.

Specialist Officer candidates must be 30 years or younger, possess a relevant bachelor's degree, professional registration where required and a minimum of two years’ practising experience.

General Duty recruits should be 18‑26 years old and have at least a KCSE grade of D (Plain); prior National Youth Service training is considered advantageous.

Tradesmen and women applicants must be 18‑26 years old; diploma holders need a KCSE grade of C‑ and certificate holders a grade of D+ together with relevant professional qualifications.

All applications for Cadets, Specialist Officers, Tradesmen and women must be submitted through the Ministry’s recruitment portal (recruit.mod.go.ke) by 12 December 2026.

General Duty recruitment will be conducted physically from 14 December to 28 December, with testing centres rotating across counties in three phases.

The first phase (14‑28 December) includes Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Garissa, Turkana, Bungoma and Meru, beginning on Monday, 14 December.

Subsequent phases (15‑19 December) will cover Kiambu, Kakamega, Kilifi, Machakos, Nyeri, Wajir and Trans Nzoia, followed by a final round (21‑28 December) in Embu, Kirinyaga, Nandi, Taita‑Taveta and Tharaka‑Nithi.