On Wednesday, Lieutenant General Peter Mbogo Njiru was named the commander of the Kenyan Army by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Following Lieutenant General Walter Koipaton’s retirement, Njiru was promoted and given a new position.
Koipaton was appointed on July 13, 2018, and has since completed four tours.
Both Uhuru and the late President Mwai Kibaki used Mbogo as an aide-de-camp. He was Uhuru’s servant for four years.
Following an earlier meeting of Board One in the military, the president made the changes public.
Last year, Lt Gen Njiru was made commander and posted to the Defense Staff College.
Lt Gen Adan Mulata left the defense department two weeks ago.
Five officers with the brigadier rank were promoted to major general by the board.
To replace Maj Gen Joseph Kivunzi, who retired, Maj Gen David Tarus was promoted and given the position of General officer command of Western Command.
Maj Gen Juma Shee Mwinyikai was chosen to succeed Maj Gen Ayub Matiri, who was named the Kenyan ambassador to Egypt in April, as the new Commander of East Command.
Assistant Chief of Defence Forces in charge of operations, plans, doctrine, and training is Maj Gen Fredrick Leuria.
The regional force of the East African Community for the DRC is led by Maj Gen Mungai Nyaga. The director of the defense and national security industry has been named Maj Gen Bernard Waliaula.
The promotion to brigadier from the rank of colonel involved sixteen officers.
They comprise Brigadier General William Kamoiro was named the commander of the second brigade, Brigadier General Ahmed Mohamed Saman was named the commander of the special operations brigade, Brigadier General Muirungi was named the commandant of the recruit training school, and Brigadier General Joseph Mokwena was named the chief of systems defense headquarters.
Timothy Stelu, Uhuru’s bodyguard, was also given a brigadier rank promotion.
The acting director of Asset Recovery, Brig Alice Mate, was also promoted and will remain in the legal branch at defense headquarters while Brig David Chesire was named commandant of eight brigades.
While Brig Charles Ndirangu will be the managing director of the defense forces food processing factory, Brig David Kimeli has been named the chief medical officer at the Isiolo Hospital.
Brig Dahir Ali has been named the principal of the defense forces technical college, while Brig Justino Mutisya Muinde has been named the chief medical officer of the Eldoret regional hospital. Brig Mohamed Salah Farah has been named the base commander of Laikipia Air Base.
Brig Hillary Biwott Kipkosgey was named director of the Kenya Space Agency, and Brig Apolo Ogolla Aloka was named senior directing staff at the National Defence College.
Brig Ziporah Kioko Kalondu, the former spokesperson for the Kenya Defense Forces, was appointed chief of strategic communication at defense headquarters. Brig John Wekesa Khaoya, the former ADC for Uhuru, was promoted to the rank of chief of welfare and compensation at defense headquarters. Brig Timothy Lekolool, however, will continue to work for the president.
According to the defense counsel, the military has undergone additional changes, according to a statement from the department of defense.
Speculations about who might be the potential next Chief of Defence Forces are still possible in light of the changes.
Because Lt. Gen. Francis Ogolla, the current vice chief of the armed forces, was unaffected, he is still a potential candidate.
Lt Gen Mohamed Badi of the Nairobi Metropolitan Service is the other contender.
The Kenya Airforce will probably produce the following CDF. If any, Maj Gen John Omenda, the commander of the Kenyan Air Force, must be promoted to the rank of Lt Gen to be in line to succeed Gen Robert Kibochi, whose term is set to expire next year. The CDF position is rotated among the three services in accordance with the Tonje Rules, which were established by retired Chief of General Staff Gen. Daudi Tonje.
Kenya Navy, Kenya Air Force, and Kenya Army make up this group.
Gen. Samson Mwathethe, who came from the Kenya Navy, was Gen. Kibochi’s predecessor. Gen. Kibochi is from the Kenya Army.
As a result, the Kenya Air Force must produce the next CDF.
Ogolla and Badi, who both served in the Air Force, are currently the most senior officers with the rank of Lieutenant General.
In the military, ranks are not skipped.
To oversee President Kenyatta’s succession, Lt Gen Njiru has now joined the Assumption of the Office of the President Committee.
Lt Gen Njiru of the Kenyan Army and Maj Gen Jimson Mutai of the Kenyan Navy are the other service commanders in addition to Omenda. The Director of NIS, PS Interior, Inspector General of Police, Attorney General, State House Comptroller, and PSs for Foreign Affairs, Finance, and ICT are additional committee members in addition to the CDF.
The Chief Registrar of the Judiciary and two clerks from the bicameral Parliament round out the group.
The Secretary of the Cabinet serves as the team’s leader.
The committee’s responsibility to plan for the president-security elect is a part of its mandate.
Furthermore, they facilitate communication between the outgoing president and the president-elect and coordinate briefings of the president-elect by important public officials.
A CDF, his deputy, and service commanders must serve a single term of four years or retire upon reaching the mandatory retirement age, according to the Kenya Defence Forces Act.
In addition, the Act states that during times of war or other emergencies, such as political unrest, the president may, on the advice of the National Defence Council, also known as Board One, extend the CDF’s term for a maximum of one year.
A general should retire at age 62, a lieutenant general at age 61, a major general at age 59, and a brigadier at age 57.
Generals are specifically addressed in a law provision that states: “The maximum retirement age shall from time to time be amended by legislation on the recommendation of the Defence Council.
