President Ruto nominates retired generals as ambassadors to Asian nations

President William Ruto has nominated two retired Lieutenant Generals as ambassadors to two Asian countries hours after announcing their retirement from the service on Friday.

Lt Gen Jonah Mwangi, the immediate former Vice Chief of Defence Forces has been nominated as Ambassador of Kenya to Tehran, Iran while Lt Gen Peter Mbogo, the immediate former Army commander has been nominated as Ambassador of Kenya to Islamabad, Pakistan.

Lt Gen Jonah Mwangi's term came to an end after 42 years of an illustrious career at the service. He was sworn in as V/CDF on April 29 last year by President William Ruto after serving as Vice Chancellor National Defence University for two years.

According to the KDF, he was enlisted into the Kenya Defence Forces as an Officer Cadet on May 14, 1982 and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on April 14, 1983.

He was then posted to a unit of the Kenya Army Artillery as a Command Post Officer.

"Thereafter, he served in many regimental capacities among them, Signal Officer, Battery Captain, Unit Adjutant, Battery Commander, and ultimately became a Commanding Officer in 2008."

Later, he served as a Military Assistant to the Army Commander and subsequently a Military Assistant to the Minister for National Security, Staff Officer Grade 1 Doctrine and Training at the Headquarters, of Kenya Army, and Chief of Staff at Kenya's Eastern Command.

He also served as an Operations Staff Officer in the United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG), Force Headquarters in Namibia and Force Training Officer in the United Nations Mission in Chad and Central Africa Republic (MINURCAT).

On his part, Lt Gen Njiru's term came to an end on Friday following 39 years of service at KDF.

He was appointed commander of Kenya Army on June 20, 2022, by President Uhuru Kenyatta who he served as an Aide-De-Camp (ADC).

Before then, he served as Commandant at Recruits Training School, Kenya Military Academy and Joint Command and Staff College.

According to the KDF, Lt Gen Mbogo was enlisted into the Kenya Defence Forces as an Officer Cadet on June 24, 1985 and Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on June 26, 1986.

He was then posted to the 77 Artillery Battalion as a Troop Commander and later where he became a Commanding Officer in the same Unit.

"He served in many regimental capacities among them Admin Officer, Adjutant, Battery Captain, Battery Commander, Instructor Air Defence Wing, Staff Officer Two (SOII) Training/Instructor Gunnery, Desk Officer Operations/Logistics, SOII Personnel/Logistics, Battalion Second-in-Command (2IC) and became a Commanding Officer in 2006."

Lieutenant General Njiru also served in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) where he was a Commanding Officer of the Kenyan Battalion and a Staff Officer in the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE).

President @WilliamsRuto effects nominations and appointments of Ambassadors and High Commissioners. Nominees transmitted to Parliament. pic.twitter.com/mSoF22nEDq

— Hussein Mohamed, MBS. (@HusseinMohamedg) March 8, 2024

Other notable nominees include; Abdi Aden Korio (Muscat, Oman), Halima Yussuf Mucheke (The Hague, Netherlands), David Kiplagat Kerich (Washington DC, USA), Everlene Mwende Karisa (Havana, Cuba), Dr Peter Mutuku Mathuki (Moscow, Russia) and Moi Lemoshira (Tokyo, Japan).

Others are; Fred Outa (Cairo, Egypt), Prof Anne Kisaka Nanguli (Dakar, Senegal), Timothy Kaluma Mcharo(Algiers, Algeria), Christopher Andrew Lang'at (Adidjan, Côte d'Ivoire) and Jessica Muthoni Gakinya (Rabat, Morocco).

Head of Public Service Felix Koskei said the list of the nominees had been delivered to the National Assembly for consideration and approval.

They shall be vetted by the departmental committee on Defence and Foreign Relations in accordance with the law before a report recommending their approval or rejection is published.