President William Ruto has unveiled reshuffle in senior KDF appointments in a move that has seen Major General Charles Muriu Kahariri promoted to the coveted rank of Lieutenant General appointing him as the Vice Chief of the KDF.
He will replace the outgoing Lieutenant General Jonah Maina who is set to retire after serving a stint 42 years in the KDF.
In yet another promotion, the commander in chief of the armed forces elevated Major General David Kimaiyo to the Kenya Army Commander.
Prior to his elevation, Kimaiyo served as Deputy Kenya Army commander and with his promotion he will succeed Lieutenant General Peter Njiru who has retiring after serving after 39 years in the army.
Others who have been promoted include Major General Jimson Longiro, to the rank of Lieutenant General and subsequently appointed as the National Defense University, Kenya Utalii Vice-Chancellor.
Longiro has been the Commander Kenya Navy before his promotion.
“The President has also promoted and appointed Brigadier Thomas Njoroge Ng’ang’a to the rank of Major General and appointed him the Commander Kenya Navy. Until he was appointed Commander Kenya Navy he was the Base Commander Kenya Navy Base Manda,” the Ministry of Defence said in a statement to newsrooms on Friday.
President Ruto likewise promoted and re-assigned seven senior KDF officers as per recommendations from the Kenya Defence Council chaired by CS Aden Duale.
They are; Major General Juma Shee Mwinyikai, Major General Mohammed Nur Hassan, Brigadier Luka Kipkemoi Kutto, Major General Aphaxard Muthuri Kiugu, Major General John Maison Nkoimo, Brigadier Peter Shikuku Chelimo and Brigadier Yahya Abdi.
Mwinyikai has been elevated to the rank of Lieutenant General and appointed as Commandant National Defence College, while Hassan has been assigned to the Kenya Army headquarters as Deputy Army Commander.
Kutto’s rank has been raised to Major General, and he has been designated as General Officer Commanding Eastern Command, whereas Kiugu has been posted to the Kenya Military Academy as Commandant.
Nkoimo assumes the role of General Officer Commanding the Border Security Command, while Chelimo has been posted to the Kenya Navy headquarters and appointed Deputy Navy Commander.
Abdi has been appointed as a Senior Directing Staff for Kenya Navy and posted to the National Defence College.