President Ruto: My inner circle rejected General Francis Ogolla as KDF chief
General Francis Ogolla, Kenya's new Chief of Defence Forces, addresses participants during the change of guard ceremony at the Ulinizi Sports Complex in Langata, Nairobi, on May 5, 2023.
What you need to know:
- President Ruto said he exercised magnanimity of leadership to appoint "Mr Ogolla, who had walked into Bomas of Kenya to try and overthrow my win" after the August 9 General Election.
- He dismissed the notion that "I appointed him on the dictates of the military traditions and order of doing things".
President William Ruto on Sunday revealed that he appointed General Francis Ogolla as the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) against the advice of many in his inner circle.
While fielding questions from journalists on live TV, President Ruto said he exercised magnanimity of leadership to appoint "Mr Ogolla, who had walked into Bomas of Kenya to try and overthrow my win" after the August 9 General Election.
He said the popular advice he got from his loyalists was not to reward Gen Ogolla "owing to his (claimed) attempted power grab against the will of the people, "but I insisted on him because his experience justified his being given the job".
President Ruto dismissed the notion that "I appointed him on the dictates of the military traditions and order of doing things".
"Nothing could be farther from the truth since I had over 10 choices and I would have appointed any to the position but I called Mr Ogolla, sat him down, called out his action ... but at the end of the day I gave him the job".
The President was referring to claims by former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Wafula Chebukati that on August 15, 2022, Vice CDF Ogolla, attempted to force him to declare Azimio La Umoja candidate Raila Odinga as the winner or force a rerun.
He was accompanied by the then Jubilee Secretary-General Raphael Tuju, Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua, Inspector-General of Police Hillary Mutyambai, the Principal Administrative Secretary in the Office of President Kennedy Kihara and Solicitor-General Kennedy Ogeto.
The claims, which Mr Chebukati made while calling for a public inquiry into the Bomas election fiasco, are also contained in an affidavit the IEBC boss filed at the Supreme Court during the 2022 presidential election petition.
President Ruto said, "I do not work in any other way apart from appointing people on merit. It is all about competency. I looked at this man's curriculum vitae and decided, against the wish of many, that he was the most suitable," Dr Ruto said.
The Commander-In-Chief said he has powers to overrule the set military dictates (popularly known as Tonje rules) that guide the institution's ultimate leadership "but not for the sake of it and my policy is to go for competencies devoid of those other considerations being peddled out there”.
General Ogolla took over the reins of the military from General Robert Kibochi after taking the oath of office at State House, Nairobi, on April 29.
Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale congratulated Gen Ogolla on his appointment, noting he has the requisite competency, training and leadership skills to take the military to greater heights within the East African region and the globe.
Gen Kibochi lauded his successor for being part of his strategic team, saying it ensured the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) remained mission-ready in responding to diverse operational and administrative engagements.
Gen Ogolla paid tribute to his predecessor, thanking him for his mentorship, guidance and cooperation.
He implored the KDF fraternity to always be determined and committed to developing and embracing modern security strategies, to conform with evolving national and global security threats.
He further noted that he will continue working closely with other security agencies, within a broader multi-agency framework, for the safety, security and stability of the country and its people, and for the sake of sustainable economic development and prosperity.
