Editor's Review

Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale Aden Duale has explained why height is a major consideration when it comes to the  Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) recruitment process.

Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale Aden Duale has explained that height is a major consideration when it comes to the  Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) recruitment process.

Speaking on Thursday, April 20, during an interview with Citizen TV, Duale stated that height is important in the military due to uniformity during parades and carrying weapons.

Duale however stated that KDF has been a bit lenient on the minimum height required as it is under certain reforms in the military.

“Joining KDF is different from joining other government departments because of important specifications. The minimum required height is under reforms, there are some short people in the military but there is a certain height we cannot allow because of the parade, carrying weapons among other things,” Duale explained.

File image of Aden Duale with KDF soldiers.

At the same time, Duale stated that the military also considers weight to avoid recruits from getting hurt or losing their lives during training.

“Some people fail in recruitment due to weight. There is a certain weight that if you are below it you will not be allowed to join KDF because during training you will carry weights of about 20 to 25 kilograms. If you are underweight you can cause a problem or even die,” he added.