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On Friday, November 8, 2024, the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Formation Commanders trooped to a high-level meeting in Karen, Nairobi.

The commanders were joined by top military officials led by Chief of Defence Forces Charles Muriu Kahariri, Vice Chief of the Defence Forces, John Omenda, Commander Kenya Army David Tarus, Vice-Chancellor National Defence University-Kenya Jimson Mutai, Commandant National Defence College Juma Mwinyikai, Commander Kenya Air Force Fatuma Ahmed, General Officers, and Senior Officers.

During the daylong closed-door meeting, the commanders addressed challenges affecting both national and global security, including climate change, cybersecurity, and terrorism.

Apart from highlighting some of their challenges, the commanders were offered an opportunity to share solutions on how KDF could tackle emerging threats.

The formation commanders pointed out that emerging threats such as cybersecurity could impact both military operations and national stability. They stated that the soldiers needed to be prepared to tackle such issues with precision.

Kahariri’s instructions

Speaking during the meeting, General Kahariri emphasised the need for adaptability. Kahariri argued that soldiers need to be on top of their game due to the evolving nature of the security environment.

The CDF challenged the commanders to morph and advance their pieces of training to match modern innovations to maintain operation readiness.

Besides advising them to embrace technology, Kahariri insisted on the need to maintain unity which he also made clear is key to sustaining operations.

“KDF must remain innovative and proactive, maximizing operational efficiency while minimizing resource usage,” General Kahariri stated.

Kahariri underscored that both the government and the Kenyan people have placed great trust in the KDF’s role in maintaining peace and security and thus they should not drop the ball.

He encouraged commanders to adopt a forward-looking approach and remain agile to meet both present and future challenges.