Military reshuffle a succession game plan as old guard retired

Kenya: The recent changes to the military top brass were effected to fill vacant positions as a result of sickness, retirements, appointments to other positions of various senior officers and also as part of a succession game plan, The Standard has established.

The glaring thing in the reshuffle is the naming of air defence gunner Maj Gen Samuel Ng’ang’a Thuita as the new commander of the Kenya Air Force (KAF).

Maj Gen Thuita has replaced Maj Gen Joff Otieno who has enjoyed a late retirement at 58, three years after the stipulated 55 years, according to the so-called Tonje rules.

“These were routine changes influenced by the need to fill vacancies in the military and to offer promotions to deserving officers,” Ministry of Defence Spokesperson Bogita Ongeri told The Standard.

Though Ongeri yesterday dismissed claims that the changes were connected to the succession of Gen Julius Karangi, whose retirement is imminent, other sources within the military indicated that the replacing of the military boss was also part of the shake-up strategy.

Maj Gen Thuita, who was serving as the assistant Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Personnel and Logistics before he was promoted on Wednesday, was picked ahead of Brigadier Stephen Njunge, who was the deputy of Maj Gen Otieno.

Both Thuita and Njunge were promoted from the rank of colonel to brigadier in 2010 by former President Mwai Kibaki. According to insiders at Ulinzi House, the Ministry of Defence headquarters, although the newest reshuffle still places Kenya’s three senior most generals in pole position to succeed Gen Karangi as Chief of Defence Forces when he retires, Maj Gen Thuita might also be a man to watch.

Gen Karangi, who turned 63 in April, has exceeded the retirement age according to the Tonje rules, a set of guidelines initiated by former Chief of General Staff Gen Daudi Tonje.

In 2012, Kibaki extended Karangi’s contract by two terms divided into one-year renewable contracts to avoid the transition in the military coinciding with the General Election.

After the polls, President Uhuru Kenyatta retained Gen Karangi in office and he has since become one of the most visible faces in his rule.

The CDF is supposed to be succeeded by one of the top military command brass who include the country’s three Lieutenant Generals Samson Mwathethe, Joseph Kasaon and Jackson Waweru and service commanders who are two ranks below that of general.

 

Lt Gen Mwathethe is the deputy Chief of Defence Forces, Lt Gen Kasaon the Kenya Army Commander while Lt Gen Jackson Waweru serves as the head of the National Defence College. The other top brass are Kenya Navy Commander Maj Gen Ngewa Mukala and the newest man on the block Maj Gen Thuita, the KAF commander.

Gen Karangi’s stay in office has seen a number of senior officers retire early while keeping with internal administrative rules.

Under the Tonje Rules, the CDF retires at 62 years while lieutenant-generals and major-generals retire at the age of 58 and 56 respectively if they are not promoted to the next rank. “Tonje rules were made to recharge the system so that we have the most vibrant soldiers. They were based on global conventions,” a top military official who requested anonymity said.