Gen. Francis Ogolla Takes Over as Chief of Kenya Defence Forces

ADF STAFF

Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Gen. Francis Ogolla took command of the country’s military in early May when Gen. Robert Kibochi retired after 44 years of military service, the final three of which he spent as KDF’s leader.

During the change of command ceremony, Kibochi was praised for strengthening the Kenyan military’s personnel welfare and logistics support. His philosophy centered on an unwavering commitment to “sharpening the arrowhead” for mission readiness.

“Sharpening the arrowhead is a continuous process and entails first-class training of all personnel and a soldier-centric welfare approach for mission readiness,” Kibochi said in a statement. “The welfare of KDF personnel and their dependents is critical and will continue being invested in.”

Ogolla’s appointment by President William Ruto was viewed as a surprise as Ruto accused Ogolla of trying to overturn his 2022 election. Ruto said there were about 10 nominees for the post, but he chose Ogolla because he was “the best person to be general,” he told The Africa Report.

Ogolla trained as a fighter pilot before rising through the ranks to become commander of the Kenya Air Force. Prior to this appointment he was the vice chief of the KDF. An avid reader and golfer, Ogolla comes from the Luo community, Kenya’s fourth-largest ethnic group.

“With great humility I thank […] the president […] for the trust and confidence in appointing me to serve as the chief of defence forces,” Ogolla said in a story by The Africa Report. “I joined the KDF 39 years ago […] and I believe that every experience [and] lesson that I have gone through has contributed to this day.”

The KDF is expected to continue contributing to global and regional peace operations through assignments with the United Nations, African Union and the East African Community.

“We also continue to train and mentor the Somalia Security Forces (SSF) to enable them to take up responsibility of ensuring the stability of their nation as [the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia] ATMIS exits Somalia by December 2024,” Kibochi said.

Less than two months after Ogolla took command, KDF was rocked by al-Shabaab attacks in coastal areas and the Northern Frontier District that killed 12 people, including six Soldiers. The incidents occurred as the KDF was building 14 forward operating bases along the Somalia border. The bases will host retreating troops serving in ATMIS.

Confronting Somalia-based al-Shabaab will be among Ogolla’s major objectives. The KDF also has troops deployed in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and was tasked earlier this year with addressing banditry and cattle rustling in northwest Kenya near the South Sudan border.