By Kipkalya Kones (@CollinceBey – Via X)
William Ruto is a national security disaster. This country is staying safe only by the grace of God and the timidity of its citizens. In fact, you have to openly question the mental state of the President after you enumerate all his security-related goofs.
First, his personal crusades against IG Hillary Mutyambai, DCI boss George Kinoti and Gen Francis Ogola in the early days of his presidency pointed to someone alien to statecraft. Senior security bosses are never hounded out of the office or made scapegoats, because their positions naturally create followers and believers within the ranks. Ruto treated these security people as if they were political surrogates deployed just to massage his ego.
Then his chance to make the first military changes came. He contradicted himself by making Ogola CDF. But the bigger gaffe unnoticed was that as he made NDUK Vice Chancellor Lt Gen Jonah Mwangi the new VCDF and sent NDC Commandant Lt Gen Albert Kendagor on retirement, he never appointed two new Lt Gens to replace them. So these two key military institutions ran for a whole year without the requisite command postings. In the military, this is the kind of omission that is so grave as to cause untold consequences.
When the next round of promotions came, Ruto’s ill-informed rush to retire both VCDF Mwangi and Army Commander, Lt Gen Peter Njiru, would soon return to bite. He quickly promoted tribesman David Tarus to Lt Gen and Army Commander, replacing Njiru. But two months later, General Ogola would die in a chopper crash, requiring Ruto to appoint another CDF. But having unnecessarily rushed a Kalenjin into Army Commander, Ruto now couldn’t make the more qualified Lt Gen Jimson Mutai the new CDF to replace Ogola, being therefore forced to appoint the colourless Charles Kahariri instead. And to crown his gaffes, Ruto made Maj Gen Fatuma Ahmed the KAF Commander. She is neither a pilot nor an aviation expert of sort, so you can imagine her trying to command the usually proud, tough and arrogant fighter pilots of the KAF.
Let’s revisit Ogola’s death briefly. If there was any foul play in it, Ruto never gained from it. In fact it complicated things for him. So I’m sure he had no part in it. But that actually makes it worse for him. If your CDF can fall from the skies and die, then there are two disturbing conclusions; one, if it was foul play, then there is someone or some people who can take out your military chief without your knowledge despite your perceived access to classified intelligence. And two, if it was an accident caused by poorly maintained aircraft, then again, your CDF travels in a makeshift contraption while your politicians hop around in better military assets, which exposes the state of your military.
Then there is the small matter of the Kenya Coast Guards. After its creation, it was filled with mostly military men as well as assets. They were even kitted as Navy people. Then guess who Ruto picked to head it? Former Police Spokesman Bruno Shioso! And before you get dizzy, fast forward to recent weeks. First, Ruto disregarded all security protocols and declared that he would now allow highrise buildings of up to 30 floors to be built in the vicinity of the Moi Air Base, obviously pandering to the Somali agenda. The base is not just the headquarters of the KAF, but also military institutions like the Defence Forces Canteen Organisation (DEFCO), as well as a strategic air surveillance and tactical site for partner states like the USA and Britain.
