| Commander, Kenya Army | |
|---|---|
 Flag of Kenya Army | |
 Incumbent since 27 June 2025David Kipkemboi Ketter | |
 Kenya Army | |
| Reports to | Chief of Defence Forces |
| Appointer | The president |
| Formation | 12 December 1963 |
| First holder | Ian Freeland |
| Deputy | Deputy Army Commander |
The commander, Kenya Army is the chief and highest-ranking officer of the Kenya Army The current commander is Lieutenant General David Kimaiyo Tarus.
List of officeholders
| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) |
Term of office | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
| 1 | Major General Ian Freeland (1912–1979) |
12 December 1963 | 30 April 1964 | 140 days | 12 | |
| 2 | Brigadier A. J. Hardy |
1 May 1964 | 30 November 1966 | 2 years, 213 days | 32 | |
| 3 | Brigadier Joseph Musyimi Lele Ndolo |
1 December 1966 | 31 May 1969 | 2 years, 181 days | 42 | |
| 4 | Major General Jackson Kimeu Mulinge (1924–2014) |
1 June 1969 | 22 November 1978 | 9 years, 144 days | 56 2 | |
| 5 | Major General Joseph Kathuka Nzioka |
1 December 1978 | 12 December 1979 | 1 year, 11 days | 2 | |
| 6 | Major General John Malan Sawe |
13 December 1979 | 2 January 1981 | 1 year, 20 days | 27 | |
| 7 | Major General Mohamud Haji Barrow Mohammed |
3 January 1981 | 14 December 1981 | 345 days | 27 | |
| 8 | Lieutenant General John Malan Sawe |
15 December 1981 | 27 February 1986 | 4 years, 74 days | 2 | |
| 9 | Lieutenant General James Lelasian Lengees |
28 February 1986 | 30 November 1993 | 7 years, 275 days | 28 | |
| 10 | Lieutenant General Daudi Rerimoi Chepkonga Tonje |
1 December 1993 | 22 June 1994 | 203 days | 29 | |
| 11 | Lieutenant General Augustine K. Cheruiyot |
28 June 1994 | 7 June 1998 | 3 years, 344 days | 2 | |
| 12 | Lieutenant General Adan Abdullahi |
9 June 1998 | 30 November 2000 | 2 years, 174 days | 2 | |
| 13 | Lieutenant General Lazarus Kipkurui Sumbeiywo |
1 December 2000 | 28 February 2003 | 2 years, 89 days | 2 | |
| 14 | Lieutenant General Jeremiah Mutinda Kianga EGH, CBS, ndc (K), cgsc (USA) |
1 March 2003 | 10 August 2005 | 2 years, 162 days | 2 | |
| 15 | Lieutenant General Augostino Stephen Karanu Njoroge MGH, CBS, ndc (K), psc |
10 August 2005 | 5 December 2008 | 3 years, 117 days | 2 | |
| 16 | Lieutenant General Jackson Kiprono Tuwei |
5 December 2008 | 30 November 2010 | 1 year, 360 days | 210 | |
| 17 | 
|
Lieutenant General Njuki Mwaniki MGH, CBS, OGW, ndc (K), psc |
30 November 2010 | 13 July 2011 | 225 days | 1011 |
| 18 | Lieutenant General Joseph Kiptoo Kasaon MGH, CBS, DCO, ndc (K), psc, cgsc (USA) (born 1958) |
13 July 2011 | 17 April 2015 | 3 years, 278 days | 211 | |
| 19 | Lieutenant General Leonard Muriuki Ngondi MGH, CBS, OGW, ndc (K), psc (born 1959) |
17 April 2015 | 22 September 2016 | 1 year, 158 days | 2 | |
| 20 | 
|
Lieutenant General Robert Kariuki Kibochi EGH, CBS, ndc (K), psc (born 1959) |
22 September 2016 | 13 July 2018 | 1 year, 294 days | 212 |
| 21 | 
|
Lieutenant General Walter Koipaton Raria MGH, CBS, OGW, ndc (K), psc |
13 July 2018 | 20 July 2022 | 4 years, 7 days | 13 |
| 22 | 
|
Lieutenant General Peter Mbogo Njiru MGH, CBS rcds (UK) psc (K) |
20 July 2022 | 8 March 2024 | 1 year, 232 days | 14 |
| 23 | 
|
Lieutenant General David Kimaiyo Chemwaina Tarus CBS ndc (K) cgsc (USA) psc (K) |
9 March 2024 | 27 June 2025 | 1 year, 110 days | 15 |
References
References
- Freeland received his knighthood in 1968. "No. 43173". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 November 1963. p. 9901."No. 43598". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 March 1965. p. 2619.
- Army.
- Poppy Cullen (2017). "Operation Binnacle: British plans for military intervention against a 1965 coup in Kenya". The International History Review. 39 (5).
- Hornsby, Charles (2012). Kenya: A History Since Independence. London/New York: I. B. Tauris. p. 180. ISBN 978-1-84885-886-2.
- Opande 2019, p. 67.
- Kenya Yearbook 2010
- Daniel Opande (2019). In Pursuit of Peace in Africa. East African Educational Publishers. p. 77. ISBN 978-9966564313.
- Also serving as Commander 4th Brigade (Kenya) during the 1982 Kenyan coup d'état attempt. "Why former Army boss is on the horns of dilemma - Daily Nation". www.nation.co.ke. Archived from the original on 2017-12-19.
- Kenya Yearbook 2010, pp432.
- Ombati 2010.
- Momanyi 2011.
- PSCU 2016.
- Munda 2018.
- Okubasu, Derrick (20 July 2022). "Uhuru Picks His Former ADC Peter Mbogo Njiru to Head Kenya Army". kenyans.co.ke. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
- Swearing-in of the Kenya Defence Forces Vice Chief and Service Commanders, State House, Nairobi., retrieved 2024-03-09
- "Kenya Army Past Commanders". ka.mod.go.ke. Ministry of Defence – Kenya. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
- Ombati, Cyrus (30 November 2010). "New army chief promises to uphold professionalism". standardmedia.co.ke. The Standard. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
- Sarles, Harry (25 April 2013). "CGSC inducts new International Hall of Fame members". army.mil. US Army. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
- PSCU (22 September 2016). "Lt. General Robert Kibochi Sworn In As Army Commander". capitalfm.co.ke. Capital News. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
- Munda, Cliff (September 2018). "Kenya Army Gets New Commander". Nairobi: Hivisasa.com. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- Momanyi, Bernard (14 July 2011). "Kenya Gets A New Military Boss". capitalfm.co.ke. Capital News. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
- Kenya Yearbook 2010, pp430
- https://intelligencebriefs.com/tag/kenya-army-command/