On Thursday, President William Ruto announced a series of military promotions and changes in Kenya following the death of the country’s defence chief in a helicopter crash.
Gatekeepers News reports that one of the key announcements was the appointment of Fatuma Ahmed as the first female commander in the Kenyan Air Force.
Ahmed first rose to prominence in August 2015 when she became the first woman to be promoted to the rank of brigadier in the Kenyan military, which is predominantly male.
Ahmed joined the armed forces in 1983, accidentally stumbling upon a recruitment exercise while returning home from secondary school.
She subsequently became an officer cadet the following year. Ahmed is also the first female soldier to attain the rank of major general, having been promoted from brigadier and appointed assistant chief of the defense forces in charge of personnel and logistics.
Ahmed’s appointment comes after John Omenda was promoted to vice chief of the defense forces and the rank of lieutenant general.
Additionally, Charles Kahariri has been appointed as the nation’s new defense chief. Kahariri was previously the deputy of his predecessor who was about to mark 40 years of military service before his untimely death.
