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More than thirty young people in Tana River were on Friday turned away from the ongoing Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) recruitment after they tested positive to various Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).
It was not immediately clear why such a high number of infections could be recorded in just one county.
KDF is seeking to recruit three thousand trainees and has set up sixteen recruitment teams distributed in 322 sub-counties in the 47 counties.
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KCSE Grade
The recruitment process is one of the most competitive in Kenya and involves a combination of various tests meant to measure agility, academic qualification, and medical fitness.
The process of separation started with dismissal of potential recruits who have not reached a KCSE mean grade of D+. They are then tested for the requisite height and weight.
Those who qualify are then divided into three groups based on academic grades. The highest scorers are placed into the Kenya Air Force, the second best for Kenya Navy, while the rest are put in the category of Kenya Army.
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Medical Tests
The Kenya Navy and Air Force groups then undergo an aptitude test meant to pick the best while the Kenya Army recruits run a marathon to test their agility.
The last stage is usually the medical tests where all recruits are tested for STIs and blood pressure.
They are also tested for internal hemorrhoids – a manual test that involves the potential recruit stripping and coughing as the examiner looks at the anal canal and rectum.
The medical test is the last elimination stage and those who qualify are allowed to join the KDF training schools.