His Excellency Dr. William Ruto, the President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces has today awarded certificates to 70 graduands after they successfully completed 49 weeks of intensive training at the National Defence College (NDC) in Karen, Nairobi.
Course 25 of 2022/23 consisted of fifty-three (53) Kenyans drawn from the military and other Government Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) while seventeen (17) were from allied countries in Africa and Asia.
The President congratulated the graduands for their hard work, commitment and resilience throughout the entire course period and urged them to live up to the ideals and aspiration of the college.
The Commander-in-Chief expressed his appreciation on the role and achievements of the College for consistently maintaining an admirable record making significant contribution towards positively shaping Kenya’s National Security and overall development agenda.
The President affirmed that since Its inception in 1997, NDC has sustained a magnificent tradition of providing world class training and research on National Security Policy and Strategy.
“As a matter of great pride and satisfaction that this College has sustained committed to develop and promote professional leadership skills that has continuously enhanced quality and integrity in the management of National security policy and strategy and deepened our overall capacity to bring about desirable peace and security in the region and beyond,” said the President.
He further thanked the leadership of the Ministry of Defence led by the Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale and the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) General Francis Ogolla for rendering quality training to the nation, the region and the entire globe.
The Head of State and Government hailed the KDF for absorbing women in key leadership positions saying the 11 ladies who undertook the course present a tremendous progress of entrenching women leadership and a promise of better representation in the future.
“I commend the Ministry of Defence for the their efforts to enhance gender inclusivity in all levels of recruitment and training. I am satisfied that such a number of senior officials, let alone senior military officers, represents tremendous and commendable progress, and the promise of even better representation in the future,” the Head of State affirmed.
He noted that many alumni of the institution have demonstrated high level of resourcefulness and professional commitment among them retired Chiefs of Defence Forces and challenged the graduands to demonstrate similar prowess in their respective careers.
Prior to the graduation ceremony, the President delivered a high level lecture of opportunities to the cohort on “African Youth: Time Bomb or Demographic Dividend” and addressed a variety of areas among them security as the foundation of transformation, harnessing Africa’s demographic dividend, new green Africa industrialization among others.
Present during the ceremony were Defence Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale, National Security Adviser Amb. Dr. Monica Juma, Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) General Francis Ogolla, Defence Principal Secretary Patrick Mariru.
Others include Service Commanders, NDC Commandant Lieutenant General Albert Kendagor, General Officers (both serving and retired), senior government and military officials, and families to the graduands.
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