Vice Chief of Defence Forces Lieutenant General Jonah Mwangi has disclosed why short people are not recruited into the military.
Speaking on Citizen TV on Wednesday, the Lit. Gen Mwangi said height is an important element during the hiring process.
He said there is a possibility that those who have not attained the required height will fail to meet the required weight which is 50kgs and above hence are likely to shrink through training.
He added that for someone to be allowed to join the disciplined forces, a woman should be 5 feet and above while a man should be five feet and three inches and above.
“Short people are great people but then there is a criteria that is set and is not only to the KDF, it is everywhere,” he said.
“The personal weapons that we have are over four feet . You can imagine going to fight and the weapon is taller than you so that’s a big challenge,” he added.
He said during training, the recruits are required to lift loads as heavy as 18kgs to 25kgs at the beginning of the training process. This, he said, will definitely pause as a challenge to people who have not met the required weight.
As the training move to the advanced stages, the more weight they will be required to lift.
“As you advance towards the end of the training you will be required to carry even heavier loads that can be from 25kgs up to 45kgs, you cannot be able to carry your own weight it is not possible.”
The Ministry of Defence is expected to recruit KDF Cadets/Recruits between August and September 2023.
