What Ruto Said When Picking Francis Ogolla for KDF Job After 2022 General Elections Controversy
President William Ruto’s decision to appoint General Francis Ogolla as the new Chief of Defense Forces, succeeding the retired General Robert Kiboshi on April 28, 2023, led to disputes within his Kenya Kwanza coalition. This prompted Ruto to openly justify his choice due to growing opposition within his party.
In a May 2023 roundtable discussion with journalists, President Ruto justified his choice, pointing to the late General Francis Ogolla’s qualifications as the primary reason for appointing him as CDF, even though Ogolla was allegedly involved in actions to challenge the 2022 presidential election outcomes.
Despite these controversies, President Ruto explained his rationale: “General Ogolla is among the people who went to Bomas to try and overturn my victory. Do you know that? But because when I looked at his CV, he was the best person to be general.”
General Ogolla, who was 60 at the time, was promoted to a four-star general despite facing opposition from some members within the ruling coalition.
Former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairperson Wafula Chebukati accused Ogolla of being part of a National Security Council group that tried to influence the election results in favor of Raila Odinga’s win or a runoff, which intensified the situation.
During the Supreme Court hearings regarding the 2022 presidential petition, Chebukati disclosed that on the morning the election results were declared, individuals from the National Security Advisory Committee (NSAC) confronted him at the national vote-counting center, insisting on either a victory for Odinga or a secured runoff.
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The delegation from NSAC, as highlighted in Chebukati’s affidavit, consisted of important individuals like Principal Administrative Secretary Kennedy Kihara, Solicitor General Kennedy Ogeto, Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai, and Lt. General Francis Omondi Ogolla, who was Vice Chief of Defence at the time.
The President argued his decision was not made lightly, as he acknowledged having other candidates for the position but chose Ogolla against the advice of many. “I could have appointed anybody. I had, I think, 10 choices,” Ruto stated.
He went on to narrate, “I called him, and I sat him down. I told him, my friend, you went to Bomas to try and overturn my victory. But because you are the best person to be general, I’m going to give you the job. That is how it works with me.”
Ruto defended his choice by emphasizing that he considered regional balance and was mindful of historical ethnic representation in national positions.
“Since independence, there is nobody from Nyanza who has ever been CDF. And it also played in my mind that I don’t want a situation where a whole community thinks they cannot occupy a certain office,” Ruto elaborated.
In his discussions with Ogolla, Ruto conveyed that the General admitted his actions at Bomas were indefensible, stating, “Many people told me you should not give this, I should not reward this kind of behavior, but you know, I also must be sensitive. What exercised my mind was this gentleman, yes, he may have made a mistake, maybe because the Commander In Chief at that time told him what to do. When I talked to him, he told me, “I have no defense”. You do with me whatever you want. I cannot defend it. It was wrong.”
What Ruto Said When Picking Francis Ogolla for KDF Job After 2022 General Elections Controversy
