Two career military officers will exit the Kenya Defense Forces after failing to secure promotions in Monday's military promotions and appointments that saw General Samson Mwathethe retaining the Chief of Defense Forces post.
Lt General Robert Kibochi, who is serving as Vice Chief of the Defense Forces and his counterpart Lt General Leonard Ngondi, who serves in the AU-UN Humid mission in Darfur were expected to replace Mwathethe, whose four-year term expired in April.
However, President Uhuru Kenyatta, in consultations with the National Defense Council (NDC), extended Mwathethe's term by one year, effectively ending careers of the two senior officers, who were at pole position to succeed the General. They have attained 60 years.
"H E Uhuru Kenyatta, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of armed forces and the president of the Republic of Kenya, upon consultations with National Defense Council, extends General Samson Mwathethe's term for one year, effective May 6," read the memo.
NDC is said to have struggled to decide from between the two, thus the final decision to extend Mwathethe's term. On Monday, a military source said, NDC had backed Kibochi before reversing the decision.
According to Tonje rules, drafted by former Chief of Defense Forces General Daudi Tonje, a lieutenant general retires upon reaching 60 if he or she misses immediate promotions. This means the two Generals will retire this year.
Incidentally, both Ngondi and Kibochi served as Kenya Army Commanders before their promotions to the current position. They also hail from Nakuru County and joined the military in 1978.
General Samson Mwathethe's tenure has been eclipsed by Al-Shabaab attacks. In 2016, at least 200 KDF soldiers were killed in El-Adde, Somalia. Until now, no report has been tabled to explain what transpired.
“It will be difficult to pin-point outstanding achievements which can be associated with him,” Mr Edward Wanyonyi, a graduate of war studies from King’s College, London, says about the General.
General Mwathethe will now formally exit from the military in 2020. His successor will come from the Kenya Army.
Current Kenya Army Commander Lt General Walter Raria and National Defense College Commandant Adan Mulata will be at pole position to take over due to the impending retirement of Lt General Robert Kibochi.