Defence Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale has today opened a two-day induction workshop between the Ministry of Defence officials and members of the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations of the National Assembly in Mombasa.
The forum which brought together senior officials from the Ministry and the military is aimed at appraising the Members of the Committee on the various roles the Ministry is undertaking within its mandate of defending and protecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic.
The CS affirmed that the Ministry shall continue to be accountable to the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces and answerable to Parliament through the Committee saying it’s a requirement of the law.
He provided an elaborate presentation of the various operations the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) is undertaking in various parts of the country and beyond adding that the fight against banditry in North Rift has yielded tremendous results in the past few weeks.
Hon. Duale disclosed that the military under the directive of His Excellency the President is going to rehabilitate schools in the region and construct new ones to enable children to quench their thirst for education just as their peers in other parts of the country.
He implored the Committee Chaired by Belgut MP Hon. Nelson Koech to provide necessary budgetary allocation to support the housing program for soldiers and for the modernization of KDF equipment to enhance force posture.
The CS underscored that the military is at the advanced stages of devolving military establishments currently concentrated in major towns to interior parts of the country saying security threat is currently originating from such areas.
“We want to have serious military barracks in Turkana, Marsabit, Mandera, Lamu, Kwale and other areas to provide quick action in times of threat. Traditionally, our barracks are mostly in urban areas but most of the threat is originating from interior parts thus necessitating the need to have military barracks in these areas,” said the CS.
Others who attended the forum include Vice Chief of Defence Forces Lieutenant General Francis Ogolla, Defence PS Patrick Mariru, Director of National Security Industrialization Major General Bernard Waliaula, MoD Secretary of Administration Mr. Boniface Wambua, Chief of Legal Services Brigadier Yvonne Kerubo, Chief of Finance Brigadier Sammy Kipng’etich, Senior Chief Finance Officer Mr. Joseph Mutuma among other senior MoD and KDF officials.
Add Comment