Uhuru extends General Mwathethes term as KDF boss

President Uhuru Kenyatta has extended the term of service for Chief of Defence Forces General Samson Mwathethe by one year.

In a statement to newsrooms on Monday, the Ministry of Defence said the extension of General Mwathethe’s term in office is effective May 6, 2019.

Mwathethe, whose term as the country’s top soldier ended last month, took over from retired Chief of Defence Forces Julius Karangi in April 2015 for a single four-year tenure as outlined in the Kenya Defence Forces Act 2012.

The 59-year-old had been promoted to deputise Karangi after a stint as Kenya Navy Commander, a force he had joined in 1978.

The task of identifying Mwathethe’s successor exclusively belongs to the Defence Council, headed by Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo.