Robert Kibochi replaces Leonard Ngondi as Kenya’s Army Commander

President Uhuru Kenyatta (L) and Chief of Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) General Samson Mwathethe during this year’s Madaraka day celebration at Afraha Stadium, Nakuru. The President has announced major changes in the army. (Photo: File/Standard)

Nairobi: Maj Gen Robert Kibochi was Thursday promoted to Lt Gen and appointed to the position. He replaces Lt Gen Leonard Ngondi who has been moved to National Defence College as Commandant.

In the appointments made by President Uhuru Kenyatta, Lt Gen Johnson Ondieki becomes Force Commander for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan. Major Gen Walter Koipaton has been appointed the deputy Commander in the Kenya Army.

Major Gen George Owino has been appointed General Officer Commanding WESTCOM and Commandant Kenya Military Academy. Brigadier Adan Mulata was promoted and appointed Assistant Chief of Defence Forces – Operations, Training and Doctrine while Brigadier Thomas Chepkuto promoted to Major Gen and appointed General Officer Special Projects.

Other changes in the communique by Department of Defence spokesman Bogita Ongeri are the appointment of Lt Col Yvonne Kerubo as Colonel Legal services and the appointment of Lt Col Joyce Sitienei as the Colonel Plans and Programs at the International Peace Support Training Centre.

A new Kenya Defence Forces spokesman has also been appointed. Lt Col Paul Njuguna will replace Col David Obonyo who has been sent to Tanzania for further studies.

Lt Col Njuguna has been working under Col Obonyo and had served as the Amisom spokesman in Somalia until late last year.

More changes are expected to be announced in the military with a number of top commanders due for retirement and may be sent home after a meeting popularly known as Board One.

"We expect major changes as a number of officers are due for retirement. Be on standby," said a source who asked not to be named.

Under the Tonje Rules that are relied on in the military, the administrative rules require that the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) retires at 62 years while lieutenant-generals and major-generals retire at the age of 58 and 56 respectively if they are not promoted to the next rank.

The rules are applicable to the Chief of Kenya Defence Forces, the Kenya Army Commander, the Kenya Air Force Commander and the Kenya Navy Commander. But an officer can retire at a younger age if he has been a service commander for four years.

Reports suggested a review of events around the January 15, 2015 El-Adde attack could influence decisions. Reports indicated more than 100 KDF personnel were killed by Al-Shabaab militants. No one has ever taken responsibility since the attack happened and no action has been taken so far.

There has been pressure from within and outside the military command amid claims the whole operation was mishandled.

More than a dozen soldiers reportedly remain in the hands of the militants as prisoners of war. Not all bodies have been recovered after the attack in which the militants over ran the camp that had 202 soldiers at the time.

Only 41 managed to escape the attack as the militants laid a siege for almost ten hours with no response from Nairobi to rescue those under attack.

Those pushing for action also want an audit be done on the military equipment and if they are able to protect the personnel in war.

There is also intense pressure for the army’s withdrawal from Somalia.