KDF Soldier Jailed For Engaging In Recruitment Malpractices

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 30- A Kenya Defence Forces soldier was Monday convicted to five and a half years imprisonment by a Court Martial sitting at Lang’ata Barracks after he was found guilty of engaging in recruitment malpractices.

The members of the court led by Colonel Lucas Teimuge and Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Bernard Ochoi found Corporal Fred Kiptum Kiplagat guilty of obtaining money by false pretense, desertion from duty, and issuing a fake KDF recruitment calling letter.

Corporal Kiptum was convicted to two years in jail for obtaining Sh300,000 from Charles Kipkorir on April 4 2021 pretending that he was in a position to help recruit his son Brian Kipkemoi into the military.

He was also convicted to two years in prison for obtaining Sh102,500 from Brian Kipkemoi on the same day pretending that he was in a position to influence his recruitment into the military.

Further, Corporal Kiptum was sentenced to a year in jail for issuing a fake calling letter to the complainant, an act he ought to have known constitutes a criminal offense, and additional six months in prison for deserting his place of work for 90 days without official leave until his arrest on 3rd May 2021.

The Magistrate directed that all the charges run concurrently and granted the accused 14 days to lodge an appeal if dissatisfied with the decision of the court.