The Vice Chief of Defence Forces (VCDF) Lt Gen Charles Muriu Kahariri will act as the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) for now.
This follows the death of CDF Gen Francis Ogolla in a helicopter crash on Thursday April 18 in Sindar area, Kaben location, Tot division, in Elgeyo Marakwet County.
Officials said there is no vacuum and Gen Kahariri had sat in as the acting CDF.
This will continue for now until when a substantive General is appointed.
The Defence Council will meet and deliberate on who will be the next military boss and advise the president who will make the appointment.
The accident was the first of the kind to affect a sitting CDF.
“There is no vacuum. There is a VCDF who will act until a new and substantive CDF is appointed,” said an official aware of the issue.
Retired Gen Daudi Tonje told journalists in his Kitale home there is no vacuum in the military in such an incident because there is a VCDF.
“The VCDF will take over for now until when the president announces the substantive holder,” he said. The Defence Council briefly met on Friday under the chairmanship of Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale but the issue of who would be the CDF was not discussed.
They discussed the way forward and agreed there was no vacuum and hence Lt Gen Kahariri would be there for now. The recently announced changes in the military sparked succession speculation in and outside the institution.
And even though Gen Ogolla had a year or two to serve as the Chief of Defense Forces (CDF), speculations are rife on who could succeed him. This follows the changes announced on March 8 by the Defence Council after a meeting. The next CDF will come from the Kenya Navy.
Gen Ogolla was to retire next year. Gen Ogolla could have gotten an extension in office by a year if the Defence Council, which he is a member advised so.
This now leaves Lt Gen Kahariri, Vice Chancellor National Defence University Lt Gen Jimson Mutai, his successor at the Kenya Navy Maj Gen Thomas Njoroge Ng’ang’a and the Vice Chief of Defence Forces (VCDF) as the possible successors of Gen Ogolla.
Under the norms in the military, Lt Gen Mutai and Maj Gen Ngángá stand the best chance to succeed Gen Ogolla.
This is because they have both been service commanders. Serving as a service commander is a consideration in naming of a CDF.
This could however be overlooked depending on many issues. Lt Gen Kahariri who is an arm away from the boss has only served as a deputy commander at the Kenya Navy.
Apart from Maj Gen Nganga, the other service commanders are Kenya Army Commander Lt Gen David Tarus and Kenya Airforce Commander Maj Gen John Omenda.
The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Act says a CDF, his deputy and service commanders shall serve a single term of four years or retire upon attaining the mandatory retirement age.
But the Act also says the President may, on the recommendation of the National Defence Council, extend the CDF’s term for a period not exceeding one year in times of war or emergencies like political uncertainty. A General is supposed to retire at 62, a Lieutenant-General at 61, a Major-General at 59 and a Brigadier at 57 years.
However, the law puts a disclaimer on the General that: “The maximum retirement age shall be amended from time to time through legislation on the recommendation by the Defence Council.”
Under the rules introduced by retired Chief of General Staff Gen Daudi Tonje — adopted and known as the Tonje Rules — the position of the CDF is rotated among the three services.
These are Kenya Army, Kenya Air Force and Kenya Navy. Gen Ogolla is from the Kenya Airforce and his predecessor, Gen Robert Kibochi, was from the Kenya Army.
This means that the next CDF must come from the Kenya Navy. On March 8, the military announced changes among some of their top command which saw the Vice Chief of Defence Forces Lt Gen Jonah Mwangi retired.
He was nominated to be the Kenyan ambassador to Iran. Army Commander Lt Gen Peter Mbogo Njiru also left the service after attaining his retirement age. He had served for 39 years. He joined the service in 1985 as a cadet.
Maj Gen David Kimaiyo Tarus was promoted to Lt Gen and took over as Commander Kenya Army.
The Defence Council also known as Board One met then under the chairmanship of Duale and made the changes.
Other changes made include Maj Gen Juma Shee Mwinyikai who was promoted to rank of Lt Gen and appointed commandant of National Defence College and Maj Gen Mohamed Nur Hassan who was appointed the Deputy Army Commander. Brig Luka Kipkemoi Kuto was promoted to Maj Gen and posted and the General Officer Eastern Command while Maj Gen Aphaxard Muthuri Kiugu was posted to the military academy and named the commandant.
Maj Gen John Maison Nkoimo was posted to the border security command and appointed the General Officer Commanding. Brig Peter Shikuku Chelimo was named the deputy commander of the Kenya Navy while Brig Yahya Abdi was named the senior directing staff Kenya Navy at the National Defence College. Ends
