COMMANDANT JCSC
Major General E M Kinuthia EBS SS ‘ndu’ (China) ‘psc’ (K)
VISION
The vision of the College is to be a centre of excellence in command and staff training in the region.
MISSION
The mission of the College is to develop the professional knowledge, skills and understanding of selected officers in order to prepare them for the assumption of increasing responsibility in Command and Staff duties.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE COLLEGE
The Joint Command and Staff College (JCSC), previously known as Defence Staff College is a tri-service College that was established with the main objective of training officers from the three Services of the Kenya Defence Forces. The idea of establishing the College was initially conceived in 1978, mainly to cut down on the high cost of overseas training and creating own capacity to train the military officers. It was formally established in 1983.
The first Senior Joint Command and Staff Course (Course Number 01 of 1984/85) was launched in September 1984 with an enrolment of 20 Kenyan officers. On 21 July 1988, the College was officially inaugurated by the late former President H.E. Hon. D T Arap Moi during the graduation ceremony of Course Number 04 of 1988/89. In Course Number 8 of 1991/92, the student intake enrolment rose to 36 and subsequently to over 60 students by the year 2019.
The College started admitting officers from friendly countries in Course Number 7 of 1990/91. The number of officers from the friendly countries has since grown from the initial 2 to over 18.
Friendly countries whose officers have trained in the College include Botswana, Burundi, Egypt, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Nepal Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland (Eswatini), Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
The College changed its name in June 2022 to conform to its mission of preparing selected officers for the assumption of increasing responsibility in command and staff duties.
CORE VALUES
In order to realize the above vision and mission, certain shared values shall be nurtured. There is great need for the College to be guided by the right values derived from the NDU-K core values. The College shall be guided by the following core values:
• Academic freedom.
• Diversity and open inquiry.
• Intellectual honesty.
• Institutional responsibility.
• Academic collaboration.
• Integrity and dignity.
• Professionalism.
The College runs two courses namely the Senior Joint Command and Staff Course (SJCSC) and Junior Joint Command and Staff Course (JJCSC). The SJCSC which lasts 47 weeks is undertaken by military officers of the rank of Major or newly promoted Lieutenant Colonels drawn from the three Services of the Kenya Defence Forces and counterparts from friendly countries.
The course has two major modules:
- The Professional/Military module.
- The Academic module under the National Defence University – Kenya (NDU-K).
The SJCSC aims at developing professional knowledge, skills and understanding of middle level officers in defence and strategy at the operational level, preparing them for advanced responsibilities in command and staff duties. The two modules are aimed at equipping students with capacity to adapt and navigate the ever evolving, dynamic and complex security environment. Upon graduation, they earn the prestigious award of ‘psc’ (K).
The academic module exposes the learners to national, regional and international security dynamics that impact Kenya’s national interests. Upon completing the academic module, the participants are awarded a Postgraduate Diploma or Diploma certificate in Defence and Strategic Studies by the NDU-K.
The JJCSC is conducted over a period of 14 weeks and targets officers of the rank of Captain and junior Majors from the three services of the Kenya Defence Forces. The Course is aimed at equipping participants with requisite knowledge and skills to perform duties in command and staff appointments more effectively while providing the basis for subsequent professional development.
The College is headed by an officer of the rank of Major General with the title of Commandant and deputised by the Chief Instructor of the rank of Brigadier. Since inception, the College has had the following Commandants:
Maj Gen D R C Tonje 01.07.83 – 27.02.86
Maj Gen A K A Cheruiyot 28.02.86 – 10.07.91
Maj Gen H W Njoroge 11.07.91 – 15.03.95
Maj Gen P M Waweru 16.03.95 – 30.04.98
Maj Gen J K Koech 01.05.98 – 30.11.99
Maj Gen L K Sumbeiywo 01.12.99 – 30.11.00
Maj Gen J W Karangi 01.12.00 – 27.11.03
Maj Gen J K T Aruasa 28.11.03 – 19.11.06
Maj Gen C M Mwanzia 20.11.06 – 24.11.10
Maj Gen J Otieno 25.11.10 – 12.07.11
Maj Gen J N Waweru 13.07.11 – 16.12.12
Maj Gen S W Nandwa 17.12.12 – 30.07.14
Maj Gen G R A Owinow 31.07.14 – 24.08.15
Maj Gen N Mukala 25.08.15 – 06.05.19
Maj Gen M K Ong’oyi 07.05.19 – 23.07.21
Maj Gen P M Njiru 24.07.21 – 19.07.22
Maj Gen E M Kinuthia 20.07.22 – 28.04.23
Maj Gen J M Nkoimo 28.04.23 – 30.05.2023
Maj Gen E M Kinuthia 31.05.23 – To Date
THE JOINT COMMAND AND STAFF COLLEGE CONTROL BOARD
The Joint Command and Staff College Control Board is the governing body of the College. The Board is chaired by the Vice Chief of the Defence Forces.
The Board’s membership includes the Defence Principal Secretary, Service Commanders, College Commandant, Assistant Chief of Defence Forces – Personnel and Logistics and Deputy Vice Chancellor – Academic Affairs and Research of the NDU-K, Chief of Research, Doctrine and Training Evaluation and the College Chief Instructor who serves as the Board’s secretary. The Board is responsible to the Chief of Defence Forces for the overall administration of the College.
CONTACTS
Westwood Park Road
P O Box 24232
Karen-00502
Kenya
Tel:0203884621
Fax: (254) -2-3883790
E Mail: jcsc@mod.go.ke
