By Rosette Stacy
Lieutenant General David Keter has officially taken command of the Kenya Army following a Change of Guard ceremony held today at Ngao Gardens, Headquarters Kenya Army in Nairobi.
He takes over from Lieutenant General David Tarus, who has been redeployed to serve as Vice Chancellor at the National Defence University-Kenya (NDU-K).
Lieutenant General Keter becomes the 24th Commander of the Kenya Army. Prior to this appointment, he served as the Assistant Chief of Defence Forces in charge of Personnel and Logistics at the Defence Headquarters.
During the ceremony, outgoing Commander Lt Gen Tarus congratulated his successor and encouraged all Army personnel to support the new leadership.
“I am truly delighted to hand over the leadership of the Kenya Army today to Lt Gen Keter,” said Lt Gen Tarus.
“Your extensive experience across various roles in the Kenya Defence Forces has equipped you with the capabilities necessary to lead the Army in our current dynamic and complex defence and security landscape,” he added.
He also expressed his appreciation to the troops for their service and commitment.
“I express my sincere gratitude to all members of the Kenya Army for their outstanding dedication to enhancing the safety and security of the Republic of Kenya… You are our Army and I am proud of all of you,” he said.
In his first address as Army Commander, Lt Gen Keter thanked Lt Gen Tarus for his leadership and pledged to build on the strong foundation laid by his predecessors.
“I want to recognize the enormous contributions of my predecessor, Lt Gen Tarus, and all the Service Commanders who have served in the Kenya Army before me in shaping the Army into what it is today,” he said.
Lt Gen Keter committed to strengthening the Army’s readiness and ensuring that soldiers have what they need to succeed.
“To the Kenya Army personnel, I pledge to collaborate with each of you, providing leadership that is inclusive, supportive, and visionary,” he said. “Together, we will achieve great things and uphold the highest standards of excellence.”
The ceremony was attended by Deputy Army Commander Major General Mohamed Hassan, senior officers, formation commanders, and service members from across the Kenya Army.