The Kenya Defence Forces on Monday turned away women recruits who had shown up at the Kibaki Grounds on Lamu Island for military recruitment exercise.
Hundreds of the women were disappointed when the senior recruiting officer in charge of the Lamu Central subcounty, Lieutenant Colonel Hamisi Msagha, said that there were no provisions for ladies in this year’s recruitment.
Lamu Central subcounty comprises Hindi, Mokowe and Amu divisions, all found within Lamu West constituency.
“I want to be clear that in this particular exercise here in Lamu Central recruiting centre, we won’t recruit ladies. According to the instructions given and according to the national statistics, this area already has enough personnel,” Msagha said.
He said that in the other stations of Lamu, including Mpeketoni and Faza, they might consider women.
“I am disappointed to see women denied recruitment opportunity to join the military. I am not convinced that the forces has enough women from Lamu. That’s ironical. If so, let them release the statistics for us to see,” Raya, a hopeful, said.
Fatma Ahmed, 25, said she was expecting to be selected now that she is remaining with only a year to attain the maximum age bracket of 26.
“I am very discouraged. I was prepared for the recruitment exercise. I knew this is my second last chance, considering I am 25 and next year I will be 26. What happened today is unfair,” she said.
Jemimah Mwangi said she had travelled all the way from the remote village of Bobo in Hindi ward to come to Lamu town for the recruitment only for her to be turned away.
“I have no job and my only hope was that today, at least I would get a chance to join the forces. I have travelled for over 70km to Lamu town. I have spent a lot only for me to get disappointed. The KDF should have informed us earlier. We would have avoided these unnecessary costs surely,” she said.
Mkomani MCA Abbas Sheikhuna also expressed disappointment over the move to lock out women in the Lamu Central KDF recruitment exercise this year.
“Next time, let our women be informed in advance. We have ladies who have come from far and spent cash in hotels and guest houses as they waited for this big day only for them to be told they have no place. It’s disappointing,” Sheikhuna said.
This is not the first time women in Lamu are locked out of KDF recruitment.
In 2017 and 2018, Lamu women were locked out of the recruitment exercise on similar grounds.
