President William Ruto at a past function, the president has told off the opposition to watch out as he is not new in politics. Photo: PSC.
President William Ruto, has made significant changes inthe leadership of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) following recommendations by the Defence Council.
In a major reshuffle, Major General David Kipkemboi Ketter has been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and appointed as the new Commander of the Kenya Army. This elevation places him at the helm of one of the country’s most strategic military branches, reflecting the President’s confidence in his leadership and experience.
In the Kenya Air Force, President Ruto has appointed Major General Benard Waliaula as the new Commander. He succeeds Major General Fatuma Gaiti Ahmed, whose illustrious military career comes to a close after 42 years of distinguished service. Major General Ahmed’s leadership marked a significant chapter in the history of the Air Force, and her retirement concludes a pioneering era.
Additionally, Brigadier Joel Muriungi M’arimi has been promoted to Major General and appointed as the Commandant of the Kenya Military Academy, a key institution responsible for training future KDF officers.
President Ruto has also promoted Brigadier Joyce Chelang’at Sitienei to the rank of Major General. She has been appointed as the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Centre for Strategic and Security Studies, at the National Defence University-Kenya (NDU-K). Her appointment underscores the increasing emphasis on academic and strategic capacity within the military leadership.
These appointments mark a new chapter in KDF’s leadership, reflecting a blend of experience, professionalism, and a vision for continued modernization and strategic development within Kenya’s defence forces.
These changes come just one day after Gen Z’s held demonstrations to mark one year since their colleges were killed during the 2024 reject Finance Bill protects.
