NAIROBI – President William Ruto, the Commander of the Kenya Defence Forces, has made changes to the top military command, following the retirement of top KDF chiefs.
In the changes announced on Friday, Vice Chief of Defence Forces Lt Gen Jonah Mwangi and Army Commander Lt Gen Peter Njiru were retired after attaining their exit age and in their place Maj Gen Charles Muriu Kahariri, promoted to Lt Gen, and Maj Gen David Kimaiyo Tarus appointed respectively.
Lt Gen Mwangi served the military for 42 years, while Lt Gen Njiru served for 39 years.
Kenya Navy Commander Maj Gen Jim Mutai was promoted to Lt Gen and transferred to the Defence College as the Vice Chancellor.
The President also promoted Base Commander of Kenya Navy Base Manda Brigadier Thomas Njoroge Ng’ang’a to Maj Gen and appointed him Commander Kenya Navy.
The service commanders are now Maj Gen Ng’ang’a, (Kenya Navy), Lt Gen Tarus, (Kenya Army) and Maj Gen John Omenda (Kenya Air Force).
The changes at the top, which were arrived at following the Defence Council meeting under the chairship of Defence CS Aden Duale, could be a pointer of the next Chief of Defence Forces, replacing Gen Francis Ogolla, who attains retirement age next year.
Gen Ogolla joined the military in 1984 and commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in May 1985.
According to the famous “Tonje Rules”, which are not necessarily binding, the CDF position should rotate among the Army, the Air force and the Navy.
In this case, Gen Ogolla of the Air Force succeeded General Robert Kibochi of the Army, who had attained the mandatory exit age of 62, with a one year added by President Uhuru Kenyatta ahead of the 2022 elections.
It thus means the next CDF ought to come from the Navy, if President Ruto is to follow the Tonje Rules. They are named after the celebrated General Daudi Rerimoi arap Chepkonga Tonje, the Chief of General Staff between 1996 and 2001.
The KDF Act further provides that a CDF, his deputy and service commanders shall serve a single term of four years or retire upon attaining the mandatory retirement age. A General retires at 62, Lt-Gen at 61, Maj Gen at 59 and a Brigadier at 57..
The President may, on the recommendation of the National Defence Council, extend the CDF’s term for a period not exceeding one year as was the case with Gen (Rtd) Kibochi.
The KDF Act, however, provides the circumstances under which the President might invoke the provision as in times of war or emergencies such as political uncertainty.
Lt Gen (Rtd) Njiru, who was appointed by President Kenyatta in 2022 replacing Lt Gen Walter Koipaton, has been nominated to be High Commissioner in Islamabad, Pakistan. On the other hand Lt Gen (Rtd) Mwangi has been nominated as Ambassador in tehran, Iran.
Other changes include Maj Gen Juma Shee Mwinyikai, who was promoted to Lt Gen and appointed commandant of National Defence College, and Maj Gen Mohamed Nur Hassan, who was appointed to be the Deputy Army Commander.
Brig Luka Kipkemoi Kuto was promoted to Maj Gen and named the General Officer Eastern Command, while Maj Gen Aphaxard Kiugu, who was the Commander of the East African Community Regional Force in DRC (EACRF), was named Comandant, Kenya Military Academy.
Maj Gen John Maison Nkoimo was posted to the border security command and appointed the General Officer Commanding; Brig Peter Shikuku Chelimo deputy commander of the Kenya Navy, while Brig Yahya Abdi was named the Senior Directing Staff Kenya Navy at the National Defence College.
