General Kahariri begins tenure with focus on soldier welfare, enhancing defence capabilities

General Charles Kahariri has begun spelling out his vision for the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) as he settles into his role at the helm of the military, a month since he was appointed Chief of Defence Forces.

The General who is on a familiarisation tour of military establishments across the country, a routine exercise accorded to every new CDF to offer them a comprehensive overview of each of the three services, understand their operations and interact with the personnel across ranks and file, kicked off the activities with a visit to Kahawa Garrison in Ruiru followed by Laikipia Airbase on Friday.

At Kahawa Garrison, he laid a wreath at the Base Monument in honour of the fallen soldiers, inspected a Half Guard of Honour and assessed equipment used by the Kenya Army in their defence operations.

"Taking care of the most important human resource while at the same time ensuring that we have the capabilities to defend our country and to be able to meet emerging challenges, as your CDF that is where my focus will be," he said revealing his intention to focus on the welfare of the military men and women during his tenure.

At Laikipia Airbase, the CDF who was accompanied by KAF Commander Major General Fatuma Ahmed received a comprehensive report on the operational status and effectiveness of the Kenya Air Force before issuing an address to the KAF personnel present.

Major Gen Ahmed assured him that the service would continue upholding professionalism in safeguarding the Kenyan airspace against external aggression.

On Friday, 14 June 24, Chief of the Defence Forces, General Charles Kahariri,  visited the Kenya Air Force at Laikipia Air Base, inline with the CDF familiarization tour to Kenya Defence Forces Services. https://t.co/ZlQdD0YN07 pic.twitter.com/uWlfpLo9nd

— Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces (@kenyacdf) June 15, 2024

General Kahariri took over the helm of military leadership last month following the death of his predecessor the late General Francis Ogolla, who alongside 11 others perished in a helicopter crash in Elgeyo Marakwet County, shortly after take off.

Slightly 100 days after his appointment by President William Ruto in April 2023, General Ogolla had revealed his vision to build a solid force with a shared mission under the mantra "One force One mission".

"In the last 100 days I have been able to elaborate on my vision which I have crystalised with the phrase "One force One mission" to be able to bring everybody together to understand what our role is and focus on one mission we have of defending the sovereignty of the Republic of Kenya," he said in his maiden interview with the State broadcaster, Kenya Broadcasting Corporation.

Without going into the details, the military chief then explained that included paying close attention and meeting the needs and welfare of the soldiers.

"When I leave, let Kenyans judge me. But, I want to leave behind an effective military, respected worldwide and able to deliver on its mission wherever, whenever," he said at the time.

Since General Ogolla passed on, General Kahariri ensured that no vacancy was felt within the military as he took charge of leadership by virtue of being the second in command at the time until, last month when President Ruto promoted him and appointed him CDF.

"I want to assure the president that as the general would have wanted, we continue to soldier on and ensure the security of this country so nothing has changed as far as our duties are concerned. Fare thee well, our general, may his soul rest in peace," Lt Gen Kahariri said as he bid farewell to General Ogolla.

External threats

General Kahariri begins his tenure at a critical moment when the country is facing complex external threats mainly from the Al-Shabaab terror group domiciled in Somalia, cyber threats and other transnational threats as well as at a time when the air force is in dire need of air assets following the grounding of several of its fleet as a result of recent air mishaps.

His tenure also comes at a time when several of Kenya's neighbours are in war and turmoil including the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan.

Kenya has been a key ally in Somalia's stabilisation efforts, the last of which, the African Union Transition Mission (ATMIS) is scheduled to exit the country in December, months after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's call for negotiations with Al-Shabaab as an alternative to pursuing a military-only strategy against them.

"We believe the end game with Al-Shabaab is through negotiation. When is when they're ready. The Somali government was ready, yesterday, the day before yesterday......We are looking forward to them being ready for that, and when they're ready, we will negotiate," President Hassan said on Friday while addressing the Oslo Forum 2024 in Norway.

Though countries contributing troops to ATMIS are yet to voice their views on President Hassan's proposal, it comes at a time when most feel jittery with the scheduled exit of the final troops in December.

"During my meeting with President Museveni, we expressed concern about the drawdown of ATMIS in Somalia and we urged that the timelines for the drawdown align with the security conditions on the ground in Somalia, not just the calendar that has been laid out," said President Ruto said while hosting his Ugandan counterpart last month.

Somalia however, intends to pursue a post-ATMIS mission, a request that was in April consented to by the African Union Peace and Security Council.

The council noted that the post-ATMIS mission will help continue with capacity-building efforts of the Somali security forces to avoid a security vacuum in the country post-ATMIS.

At the same time, the team will help sustain the progress made in the fight against Al-Shabaab by the Somali government and the exiting ATMIS troops.

Before you go, how about joining our vibrant TikTok and YouTube communities for exciting video stories?

TikTok: Click here. YouTube: Click here.