Uhuru to act on military council deliberations on new commanders

President Uhuru Kenyatta may today either extend the tenure of Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Samson Mwathethe or name a new military chief.

Gen Mwathethe’s term as the CDF ends today amid speculations on the leadership of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).

The National Defence Council met on Tuesday last week to discuss Mwathethe’s succession and is set to brief President Kenyatta on their deliberations today.

A source says President Kenyatta, who is the commander-in-chief of armed forces of Kenya, may extend the term of Gen Mwathethe by a year.

“The President has been busy and out of the country. This has affected decision making on this matter,” said an official aware of the processes.

The KDF Act says a CDF, his vice and service commanders, should 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 such political uncertainty.

It is not clear what the National Defence Council decided but is is believed the council left it open for the President to decide.

“Gen Mwathethe has generally performed well and we see him as a trusted man of the president,” another official who asked not to be named said yesterday.