President William Ruto for the first time has revealed why he picked the late General Francis Omondi Ogolla as the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF).
The President said Ogolla’s name was not on the list of potential Chiefs of Defence Forces, when President William Ruto assumed office in September 2022.
Rutu detailed the circumstances that led to the runners up to the declaration of the presidential poll winner during the August 2022 General Election would complicate his chances further.
Ruto revealed the happenings of August 15, 2022, as he paid tribute to the fallen General at Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi.
“When it came time for me to decide on the next CDF, it wasn’t easy. All the recommendations that I got for the next CDF did not include the name of General Ogolla. But he was a military officer with a distinguished career,” he said.
He added that after he invited the late General Ogolla for a private meeting after the Bomas chaos, he admitted having visited the Bomas of Kenya on the night of August 15, a night etched into the minds of many Kenyans, for what would transpire the next few hours.
“After their “one-on-one” talk, General Ogolla offered to either be court-martialed, allowed to retire, or forgiven. The General told me the following: I have no defence, I will not try to defend myself. It was wrong what happened, and you have three choices. Either send me to court-martial, have me retire, or forgive me,” explained Ruto.