By Enyichukwu Enemanna
President of Kenya, William Ruto on Thursday named Charles Muriu Kahariri as Defence Chief, following the death of his predecessor, Francis Omondi Ogolla in a helicopter crash.
Ogolla was among 10 military officers killed when their chopper went down in a remote area of northwestern Kenya on April 18.
The new Defence Chief, Kahariri had previously served as deputy to Ogolla, 62, who had been Chief of Defence Forces for a year and was about to mark 40 years of military service.
The promotion of Kahariri to the defence chief post and the rank of general was among several appointments Ruto announced.
He also named Major General Fatuma Gaiti Ahmed as commander of the Kenya Air Force, the first woman in the nation’s history to hold the position.
She replaces John Mugaravai Omenda who was promoted to Vice Chief of the Defence Forces and the rank of lieutenant general.
Major General Paul Owuor Otieno was also named commander of the Kenya Navy.
Heritage Times HT reports that Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) has been fighting al-Shabab militant group who holds swathes of land, displacing several communities.
Coastal county of Lamu has been in the spotlight for the past few years due to the increasing number of devastating militant attacks that have left hordes of security personnel and civilians dead.
Kenya’s border areas, such as Mandera, Wajir, and Garissa counties, have also experienced similar attacks, affecting overall development.
KDF recently launched a targeted operation against an active al-Shabab camp in Kumba, about 10 kilometers west of Pandanguo, near the vast Boni forest where the insurgents hide.
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