- After the death of General Francis Ogola, General Charles Muriu Kahariri was appointed as the Chief of Defense Forces in Kenta.
- Mr. Kahaliri was formally welcomed to the Defense Headquarters on Tuesday, May 7, in an elaborate and unprecedented event.
- The Changing of the Guard ceremony at Defense Headquarters was a unique sight as Kahaliri had to take over the flag himself.
Michael Ollinga is a journalist with TUKO.co.ke with over 10 years' experience covering courts, crime, special reports and current events in Kenya.
Kenya's new Chief of Defense Staff, General Charles Muriu Kahariri, has been formally welcomed to the National Defense Headquarters.
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General Charles Kahalili appointed to National Defense Headquarters
This was after Kahariri raised the command flag at the National Defense Headquarters on Tuesday, May 7, following an elaborate changing of the guard procedure in accordance with military tradition.
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The process came days after President William Ruto, the supreme commander of all Kenyan armed forces, promoted him from lieutenant general to general and appointed him to the CDF.
On Friday, May 3, Mr Ruto also presided over the investiture and oath-taking ceremony of newly appointed Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) officers at the State House.
Mr. Kahariri became the country's 12th CDF officer to replace General Francis Ogola, who was killed in a helicopter accident on the border of Elgeyo Marakwet and West Pokot districts on Thursday, April 18.
Tradition of succession of military generals
In keeping with military tradition, Mr. Kahariri inspected a guard of honor equipped by Kenya Air Force units.
Kahariri then held a flag handover ceremony.
This was after he inspected the old and new security forces lined up by three KDF units: Kenya Army, Kenya Navy and Kenya Air Force.
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At this point, something unprecedented happened. General Kahaliri had to take over his command flag from the table.
Normally, when General Ogola ends his term and Kahariri appoints a successor, the former would hand over the command to the latter.
However, in this case, Ogola, a four-star general, is dead, and there is no higher-ranking officer than Kahariri, the new CDF of four-star generals.
Military tradition dictates that only officers of a higher rank or who have served in command may pass on the command flag to a successor. Only Ogora could do this.
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“General Kahariri is the most senior of the three services in terms of rank and status. This means that he had no legitimate person to inherit power. In the military, your juniors in terms of rank are the most senior of the three services. I can’t take over.’ Otherwise, I’ll give you orders,” a military man, on condition of anonymity, told TUKO.co.ke.
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The officer admitted that this was an unprecedented incident as no other Kenyan CDF had died while in office.
“Secondly, this was an unprecedented handover and investiture of rank because the person who served in the CDF died while in office.With General Ogola passing away, he took up the command flag himself.
“Only Mr. Ogola could hand over the flag to Mr. Ogola or CiC. President Ruto, who is a five-star general under military law, could not hand over the flag to Mr. Kahariri, who is a four-star general. '' the officer explained.
He said there was no one in the same rank as General Kahariri in the Kenyan military, which could lead to conflicts in terms of roles. In the army there is one 4-star general at a time.
General Kahariri personally hands over the command flag.
Kenyans watching the event online were thrilled to see the CDF remove the command flag from the table themselves.
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“It's emotional that he took the flag from the table because no one handed it to him,” Kimani Fix said.
Chris's Corner expressed a similar view, wishing General Kahariri the best of luck as he takes control of the Kenyan military.
General Kahariri takes over, emotional KDF handover
“It was a very emotional scene as the general picked up the KDF flag on the steps where his predecessor was supposed to be. However, this was not a normal change of command and took place under unusual circumstances. It's a thing,” Chris said.
Chris urged generals to be compassionate and resolute as they lead grieving troops.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate General Kahalili on his appointment to the new CDF. Your Excellency, you have now joined a military that is still grieving over the death of the commander who was your superior.” “So we must lead by example and ensure that continuing to grieve does not compromise Kenya's security,” Chris added.
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The event was attended by Deputy Commander of the Defense Forces (VCDF), Lieutenant General John Omenda, Force Commander, Lieutenant General David Taras, Major General Fatuma Ghaiti Ahmed and Major General Paul Otieno.
TUKO.co.ke has published a detailed profile of the illustrious military career of General Charles Muriu Kahariri, who initially served as Deputy Commander of the Defense Forces under the late General Ogola.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
