Brigadier William Kamoiro, the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) commanding officer who spearheaded the famous amphibious attack during the Kismayo takeover in 2012 will be the new Commander of the African Union Mission in Somalia's Sector Two.
KDF on Sunday, February 26, unveiled the new Commander for the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS II), taking over from Brigadier Jattani Gula, who concluded his stint.
According to KDF, Brigadier Kamoiro brings to the mission a wealth of experience Spanning over 33 years in the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
Besides having guided KDF through the historic breakthrough in Kismayo, Kamoiro has featured in various high-profile missions around the world.
He served as African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) Commanding Officer in 2016 and later served as a Defence Attaché to China between the years 2017 to 2020.
Additionally, the Brigadier has served in United Nations (UN) operations in various countries including DRC Congo and Yugoslavia.
Prior to his appointment as the ATMIS II Sector two Commander, he was the Commander 2 Brigade.
His vast experience in theatre operations and the credit earned from the Kismayo mission in 2012 earned him accolades which culminated in his promotion to the Brigadier rank.
He will now be entrusted with Kenya's and AU's campaign of neutralizing security threats posed by the Al Shabaab both in Somalia and the larger East Africa region.
In his acceptance speech, Kamoiro pledged to continue conducting surgical offensive operations in coordination with Somali Security Forces in order to stabilize the operating environment.
His appointment came on the back of intensified recent terror attacks in Mogadishu and other parts of Somalia.
In addition, several Al Shabaab attacks aimed at security forces have been reported in the counties of Lamu and Garissa in Kenya.
In response to the security threats, President William Ruto assured the government's firm stand to neutralize all threats within Kenyan borders and the neighbouring countries.
