Reveal ethnic backgrounds of 5,000 new KDF personnel

Concerns over ethnic and regional imbalance in Kenya’s public-sector recruitment highligted.[File, Standard]

In the last few days, social media has been abuzz with allegations that the majority of those who graduated from the Defence Forces Recruits Training School (DFRTS) were from one ethnic group. While most Kenyans dismissed this as the usual online banter, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has lent credence to the claims by saying that 3,000 of the 5,000 army recruits who graduated from DFRTS on August 13, 2026 hail from President William Ruto's community. The graduation ceremony was held at the Defence Forces Recruits Training School, Eldoret with Ruto in attendance.

These allegations are preposterous but cannot be dismissed, especially coming from Mr Gachagua, an outsider who seems to have information on virtually everything that is going on within the government. On several occasions, he has made claims that were ultimately vindicated.

But not only that. This country has for many years been bombarded with reports of lopsided recruitment in public service that benefits some ethnic communities more than the rest, despite the Constitution underscoring the need for ethnic and regional balance in recruitment.

For example, in 2023 the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) came under fire after it was revealed that over half of the 1,406 newly recruited Revenue Service Assistants belonged to just two communities: those of the President and his deputy.  Ironically, the deputy president then was none other than Gachagua, who the alleged injustice in the KDF recruitment has now angered.

There have also been claims of irregular hiring where politically correct leaders have secured recruitment letters from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), sometimes grabbing dozens of slots per constituency to reward their loyalists. In some cases, it is alleged the employment letters were sold in excess of Sh200,000.

With such hindsight, it would be foolhardy to dismiss the impeached DP's allegation as the rantings of a bitter political player.

It is imperative, therefore, that the government sets the record straight by publishing the names of the recent recruits who graduated in Eldoret. The public has the right to know such information. Unfair recruitment in public offices must end. Jobs should be given based on merit, not the community one hails from.

The Constitution of Kenya 2010 was promulgated purposefully to cure historical injustices of marginalisation and ethnic cronyism. Chapter 232 explicitly outlines the values of public service, demanding equitable representation of Kenya’s diverse communities and affording adequate opportunities for appointment. When State machinery appears to systematically favour a specific ethnic bloc, it not only breaches this supreme law, but fractures the fragile cohesion holding the country together.

Youth unemployment in Kenya remains a ticking time bomb. Millions of bright, desperate young citizens traverse the country armed with academic transcripts, hoping for a fair chance to serve. When they realise that their surnames, rather than their qualifications, dictate their destiny, the resulting disillusionment breeds resentment. A public service that operates as an exclusive club for the politically connected denies the country the talent required to drive economic growth.

It is time for the National Cohesion and Integration Commission and the Public Service Commission to aggressively exercise their constitutional mandate. They must thoroughly audit recruitments across all State organs and publish comprehensive diversity reports. Parliament must also uphold its oversight role without partisan bias. We cannot afford to slide back into the dark days when State patronage was the sole currency for survival. True progress thrives on equity, not ethnic entitlement. Allow merit to lead.