NAIROBI, Kenya — Detectives have arrested a man accused of impersonating a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) brigadier and running a recruitment scam targeting unsuspecting youths desperate to join the military.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Joshua Mutui Muimi had been presenting himself as a senior KDF officer and extorting money from members of the public while issuing fake admission letters to the Recruit Training School (RTS) in Eldoret.
The suspect was arrested by Parklands-based detectives following an intelligence-led operation inside his rented apartment in Kilimani, where he was found fully dressed in Kenya Air Force regalia despite having no connection to the military.
A search of the house uncovered a range of forged materials, including several documents bearing the Ministry of Defence logo. Detectives recovered six fake RTS admission letters, all carrying the same serial number, alongside seven fingerprint forms and a manual from “Yilmaz Defence Industry” used for ammunition manufacturing.
DCI said the items form part of the evidence linking the suspect to a wider extortion scheme.
Investigators believe Muimi had been exploiting hopeful recruits by promising to secure them places in the military training school in exchange for money — a practice the DCI warns is both illegal and common during recruitment periods.
The suspect is currently in custody, undergoing police processing ahead of arraignment.
In its statement, the DCI urged Kenyans to be vigilant and to avoid shortcuts in the security sector recruitment process, emphasising that genuine KDF enlistment is free, fair, and transparent.
The agency reiterated that no member of the public should pay anyone claiming they can facilitate military recruitment.
The arrest adds to several recent cases of impostors posing as government or security officials to defraud job seekers, prompting renewed calls for stronger public awareness on fraud prevention.
