Ruto's appointments: Rise of the commanders to ranks in Kenyan military

While some of the military officers assuming new ranks and roles are faces and names that Kenyans are already familiar with, others had faces and names that many Kenyans had never seen, or heard of, before.

The new Chief of the Defence Forces (CDF) General Charles Muriu Kahariri, the son of a retired Kenya Navy Warrant Officer I who grew up in Mtongwe, was thrust into the limelight in unfortunate circumstances when he took over as the interim CDF on Thursday, April 18, 2024, following the tragic death of his predecessor General Francis Omondi Ogolla in a chopper crash that claimed the lives of nine other military personnel.

From projecting stoicism in his combat gear as he mourned the death of General Ogolla to exhibiting regal splendour in his white Kenya Navy uniform decked with golden epaulettes and lanyards, gilded ships command, and multichromatic medals while executing other military roles, the whole country witnessed General Kahariri become the new face of the KDF leadership with impeccable grace despite the gloomy circumstances.

Lieutenant General John Omenda Mugaravai, who took over as the new Vice CDF, is an airman extraordinaire known for his heroics with the F5 fighter jet during the Battle for Hosingow in 2012 in which KDF gallantly thwarted an Al-Shabaab attack in a fight that lasted 11 hours. There was no single life lost on the KDF side in that battle which in many ways is worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster.

On the other hand, Major General Fatuma Ahmed, who took over the command of the Kenya Air Force from Lt. Gen. Omenda, charted her way to the high echelons of the KDF leadership in a way no Kenyan woman has done before. While ascending to CDF is likely to be a summit she will leave unconquered, Maj. Gen. Fatuma has already firmly established herself as a trailblazer for Kenyan women with hopes and ambitions of excelling as military officers.

New KMC boss

Major General Jattani Kampare Gula. (Handout)

The other seven military officers who received new postings, promotions, and appointments are largely unknown and among them is Jattani Kampare Gula, a Kenya Army military officer who was promoted from Brigadier to Major General and appointed the new Managing Director of the Kenya Meat Commission.

Maj. Gen. Gula has served in the KDF for 34 years having joined the Kenya Army in 1990 (known in KDF circles as Intake 26) before commissioning in 1991 as a second Lieutenant.

After commissioning, Gula was posted to Nyali as an Infantry Officer in the famous 15 Battalion Kenya Rifles (widely known as 15 KR or One Five).

At the time 15 KR was one of the newest Kenya Army infantry, having been formed on March 13, 1989, as the seventh infantry battalion of the Kenya Army. The unit was later relocated to Mombasa at Mariakani Barracks.

Maj. Gen. Gula's period as a Lieutenant in the KDF was marked with a valiant act that culminated in him being awarded the Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW) after he rescued a soldier who had been attacked by crocodiles.

Described by his colleagues in the military as soft-spoken but tough, Maj. Gen. Gula rose through the ranks and along the way, served as the Commanding Officer of the 15 KR.

Maj. Gula has experience in close and deep operations and his deployments included Operation Amani Boni (OAB) which he led as the Brigade Commander of the 4th Brigade.

Gula was appointed to head the Brigade following his promotion to Brigadier in July 2021.

As a Brigadier, he also served as Brigade Commander in Wajir before transferring to Dhobley in the same capacity.

Now tasked with heading the Kenya Meat Commission, Maj. Gen. Gula now wears a new hat that takes him away from battlefield operations to that of ensuring the government of President William Ruto delivers on its promise of transforming the Kenya Meat Commission into an entity that boosts the country's foreign exchange through export of processed meat products.

From saving a soldier from an attack by crocodiles to conducting battlefield operations in Kenya and Somalia, soon there will be much more to be known about Maj. Gen. Gula as he steers the Kenya Meat Commission to new territories of growth and prosperity