NAIROBI, Kenya – Nairobi County legislators are threatening to table a no-confidence motion against Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya, accusing her ministry of sidelining the capital in the upcoming Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) recruitment exercise.
Led by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, the leaders claim the recruitment plan released last week allocates only three centres for the city’s 17 constituencies, unlike other counties where every sub-county has been assigned its own venue.
“This is outright discrimination against Nairobi residents,” one MP said. “We wrote to the CS but she has not responded. If this does not change, we will stop the recruitment of KDF officers across the country until Nairobi is treated like the other 46 counties.”
A joint communiqué dated September 16 and signed by 18 Nairobi MPs argues that the exercise breaches constitutional principles of fairness and equal treatment.
The letter, delivered to the Ministry of Defence by Embakasi West MP and National Assembly Minority Whip Mark Mwenje, demands that Nairobi be accorded more centres to reflect its population size.
According to the KDF schedule, recruits from six constituencies—including Embakasi East, West, North, South, Kamukunji, Makadara and Starehe—will converge at Nyayo Stadium.
Kasarani Sports Centre will host candidates from Kasarani, Ruaraka, Mathare and Roysambu, while Jamhuri Grounds will serve Dagoretti North and South, Lang’ata, Kibra and Westlands.
Lawmakers warned that the consolidation of venues would not only overwhelm facilities but also allow outsiders to infiltrate the process, denying Nairobians fair representation in the military intake.
KDF announced the 2025 recruitment drive on September 15, targeting both skilled professionals and officer cadets. The exercise is scheduled for October.
