NAIROBI, Kenya July 13 – President Mwai Kibaki promoted Lt General Julius Karangi and appointed him Chief of the Defence forces, taking over from General Jeremiah Kianga who will be retiring in September.<\/p>\n
A statement from State House Nairobi said the Head of State had made other appointments in senior military ranks following recommendations of the Defence Council which held a meeting on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Upon retirement, Gen Kianga will assume a new role at the Kenya Railways Corporation where he has been appointed chairman.<\/p>\n
General Kianga has had 40 years distinguished service in the Defence Forces having taken over from retired General Joseph Kibwana in 2003.<\/p>\n
In the Wednesday changes, the Head of State also promoted Gen S. Mwathethe to the rank of Lt General and named him the Vice Chief of the Defence forces.<\/p>\n
Others promoted include Brig P. Kameru who has risen to the rank of Maj General who will now head the Military Intelligence Department.<\/p>\n
Brig N Mukala has been promoted to Maj General and appointed Commander of the Kenya Navy.<\/p>\n
The former head of the National Defense College, Lt General J Kasaon swaps places with ex Army Commander Lt Gen Njuki Mwaniki.<\/p>\n
Col. J. M Waweru was promoted to Brigadier and named Deputy Commander of the Kenya Army.<\/p>\n
Maj Gen J. Otieno was also named the commandant of the Kenya Air Force, to replace Maj Gen H.M. Tangai who was appointed Senior Directing Staff Air, National Defense College.<\/p>\n
Maj Gen J.N Waweru was named the commandant of the Defense Staff College.<\/p>\n
General Kianga who will attain the mandatory retirement age on August 31 was born 26th April 1950 in Makueni district and was educated at the Machakos Secondary School until 1970.<\/p>\n
He joined the military a year later in 1971.<\/p>\n
He was posted to the 5th Kenya Rifles as a Platoon Commander in 1973 after training at the Royal Military Academy.<\/p>\n
He has previously trained in the UK, India, and the United States of America\u2019s Kansas University where he acquired his Masters degree in Military Arts and Science.<\/p>\n
Before rising through the ranks to head the military, Gen Kianga served as a Directing Staff at the Army Staff College, UK and Defense Staff College in Karen.<\/p>\n
He has also served as a Defense Advisor in Uganda and Chief of Military Intelligence at the Defense headquarters before being promoted in 1999 to the rank of Maj Gen, and was then appointed the Officer Commanding Eastern Command.<\/p>\n
He rose through the ranks to become the Deputy Army Commander and later Chief of General Staff in 2003.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NAIROBI, Kenya July 13 – President Mwai Kibaki promoted Lt General Julius Karangi and appointed him Chief of the Defence forces, taking over from General Jeremiah Kianga who will be retiring in September. A statement from State House Nairobi said the Head of State had made other appointments in senior military ranks following recommendations of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12316,"featured_media":26678,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,26],"tags":[],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-26672","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kenya","category-top-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n