CDF Gen Ogolla apologises to Ruto for not recognising First Lady Rachel during military event
By Mary Ouko, October 14, 2023
Chief of Defence Forces General Francis Ogolla has issued an apology to President William Ruto for not recognising his wife, First Lady Rachel Ruto during the KDF day celebrations held at Embakasi, Nairobi on Saturday.
Speaking during the event, Ogolla acknowledged that he had made a mistake and asked to rectify it at the end of the speech.
“Before I invite your Excellency, I want to make an apology. When I was going through the salutations, I discovered I did not recognise Her Excellency, the First Lady. I apologise to you, Your Excellency,” he stated amid claps from the crowd.
During his speech, Ogolla commended the soldiers for their efforts towards maintaining peace in the country.
“Our observance of KDF day is not a recent tradition. It holds a deep-rooted significance in our national memory. The seeds of this commemoration were sown back in the year October 2011 when our soldiers launched Operation Linda Nchi,” he said.
“In the phase of daunting challenges, recognising the importance of their sacrifice and to engrave the monumental operation into the annals of our history,” Ogolla added.
The KDF Day which was introduced after the launch of Operation Linda Nchi in October 2011 is celebrated yearly to commemorate and celebrate the acts of valour and gallantry by KDF heroes and heroines.
KDF officers who have recorded stellar performance in their duties are recognized and rewarded.
This year’s theme for the event was ‘One Force One Mission-Enhancing National and Regional Security’.