On Friday, June 27, President William Ruto appointed Lieutenant General David Ketter as the new Kenya Army Commander, in a move that significantly indicates the country's next likely Chief of the Defence Forces.
In the appointment, Ketter was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General, up from Major General. In his new role, Ketter becomes a three-star general, the second-highest rank in the Kenya Defence Forces, just below the four-star General rank.
Ketter’s promotion to the Kenya Army Commander puts him next in line to succeed the current CDF, General Charles Kahariri.
Ketter’s likely ascension to Kenya’s top military post, just below the President, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, is informed by the famous ‘Tonje Rules,’ which created a succession sequence for Kenya’s CDFs.
Tonje Rules
The 'Tonje Rules' are an unwritten but deeply respected set of principles guiding promotions, appointments, and retirements within the KDF.
They are named after former Chief of General Staff General Daudi Tonje, who served from 1996 to 2001 and persuaded the Defence Council to adopt these guidelines. They aimed to ensure professionalism, predictability, and fairness in military leadership succession.
In the rules, the country’s CDF is rotated amongst Kenya’s top three military organs: the Kenya Army, the Kenya Air Force, and the Kenya Navy. This prevents any single service from dominating the top leadership position for extended periods and promotes equity.
The current CDF, General Kahariri, who was appointed in May 2024, is from the Kenya Navy. His predecessor, General Francis Ogolla, who tragically passed away from a plane crash in April 2024, was from the Kenya Air Force.
General Robert Kibochi, who preceded Ogolla, was from the Kenya Army. Before Kibochi, General Samson Mwathethe was from the Kenya Navy.
Given this pattern, and with the current CDF, General Kahariri, being from the Navy, the Tonje Rules suggest that the next Chief of Defence Forces should come from the Kenya Army, which Ketter currently leads.
In Kenya, the CDF typically serves for a four-year term or upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 62, whichever comes first. There can be an optional maximum one-year extension, but this is rare.
General Kahariri is expected to complete his term of service and also attain the retirement age in 2028, paving the way for the nation's 13th military chief.
While much is not known about his personal life like most military chiefs, Ketter held the senior position of Assistant Chief of Defence Forces in charge of Personnel and Logistics (ACDF P&L). In this critical role, he was responsible for ensuring the operational readiness and human resource planning across the entire KDF.
Information about the exact length of service for high-ranking military officers like Lieutenant General David Ketter is usually not publicly disclosed by the KDF.
However, to reach the rank of Lieutenant General, an officer must have consistently risen through many lower ranks: Second Lieutenant, Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, Brigadier, and Major General.
Each promotion requires several years of service, successful completion of demanding military courses, and demonstrated leadership.
As such,to attain the rank of Major General and then Lieutenant General, an officer would typically have served in the military for at least 25 to 30 years, and often more. Promotions at these senior levels are not just about time in service, but also about merit, command experience, and strategic acumen.
Before becoming the ACDF, Ketter held various leadership positions in the military including serving as the Chief of Delegation for Kenya in military sports.
In becoming the Kenya Army Commander, Ketter replaced Lieutenant General David Kimaiyo Chemwaina Tarus, who was redeployed to the National Defence University-Kenya (NDU-K) as the Vice Chancellor.
The investiture ceremony for the new KDF leadership, which included Ketter, was held on Saturday, June 28, at State House, Nairobi, where Ketter officially assumed his new rank.
