SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY HON UHURU KENYATTA CGH, PRESIDENT

AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE DEFENCE FORCES OF THE

REPUBLIC OF KENYA ON THE OCCASION OF OFFICER CADETS
COMMISSIONING PARADE AT THE KENYA MILITARY ACADEMY, NAKURU
ON WEDNESDAY 15
TH
OCTOBER 2014
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It gives me great pleasure to join you, and to preside over the commissioning
of our young ofcers, who will today join the ofcer cadre of the Kenya Defence
Forces.
he young men and women will immediately join national service.
hey have !een well prepared. For the "fcer #adets, now formed up in front
of us, our ceremony today mar$s the end of their period of training. %e are
proud to join them in the joy of their achievement.
his is the second group of cadets under the &achelor of 'cience in (ilitary
'tudies degree programme that commenced their training in "cto!er )*++.
he programme provided an opportunity for cadets to concurrently pursue
undergraduate education, and professional military training. his degree
programme, underta$en together with Kenyatta ,niversity, gives the cadets a
!road li!eral education that is designed to produce versatile, creative and
critical thin$ers who will !e -uic$ to adapt to the rapid changes and challenges
they will face in their careers.
I am also happy to note that after the .rst cycle of the degree training, which
culminated in eight ofcers earning .rst class honours, the programme has
!een reviewed to tac$le the challenges faced in the initial implementation and
to also adapt to the changing challenges that relate to security. hose who
stand !efore us are the products of this even more rigorous training.
Let me also note with appreciation that the num!er of female ofcers
commissioned today is larger than in previous inta$es. his goes to show my
Government/s commitment to e-ual opportunity for every Kenyan.
Let me now spea$ directly to the young men and women.
0s young ofcers of the Kenya Defence Forces, you must understand that you
are most privileged to have !een chosen to serve in this no!le profession 1ou
are now responsi!le for defending our national sovereignty and territorial
integrity. Kenyans have !estowed a great trust upon each of you. heir hope is
that you will never !etray that trust.
1our career as ofcers in the Kenya Defence Forces will demand continuous
training, high levels of professionalism, ethics and great personal sacri.ce. 1our
success will depend on your integrity, your discipline and your loyalty not only
to the country and the Government as prescri!ed in the oath of allegiance you
have just sworn, !ut also to your superiors, peers and su!ordinates.
1ou receive your commissions at a time when military forces across the world
are faced with something that can without e2aggeration !e called an
information e2plosion. 3-ually, we see technological shifts so rapid that we
must wor$ harder than ever to $eep ourselves up to date.
Ladies and Gentlemen4
hese challenges demand innovative approaches. he .rst is to advance the
$nowledge and s$ills of our ofcers, so that as leaders they can understand and
respond to the challenges of a world awash with terrorism, religious e2tremism
and intolerance. he (ilitary 'tudies degree programme was aimed at
e-uipping our ofcer cadets with the $nowledge and s$ills that will underpin
their e5ectiveness as commanders and leaders of the Kenya Defence Forces.
6ere, I wish to commend the partnership !etween Kenyatta ,niversity and the
(inistry of Defence, which has seen the successful implementation of the
&achelor of 'cience in (ilitary 'tudies degree programme and the launch of
the (asters of 'cience in 'trategic 'tudies degree programme.
0lready, we can see the results of these shifts in emphasis. Kenya military
personnel play a major role in ,nited 7ations 8eace$eeping missions all over
the world, proof of the respect our men and women in uniform have earned
from the ,nited 7ations, and the 'ecurity #ouncil in particular. 3-ually, my
government and the people of Kenya deeply appreciate the wor$ of the KDF in
operation LI7D0 7#6I. he con.dence shown in our troops !y our people, as
well as our friends and neigh!ours shows the high standard of our military
training and professionalism we have attained.
Indeed, I note with satisfaction that our respective military cooperates in
diverse training programmes with our neigh!ours and friends in the region,
which is why we have with us cadets from ,ganda, an9ania and :wanda. I
congratulate the ofcers from these countries who are commissioning today,
and, with !rotherly a5ection, I wish them the very !est in their careers.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
0llow me now to emphasi9e the fact that the KDF continues to !e a sym!ol of
our nationhood. he relationship !etween mem!ers drawn from diverse
communities of Kenya, living and wor$ing together for a common national goal
is a manifestation of what our country has the potential to !e, if only we set
aside our divisions. hat is why you have !een, and remain, a model of
integration for us all.
Let me close these few remar$s, !y remem!ering those of our men and women
who have fallen in the line of duty. (ay they rest in peace, and may their
e2ample of dedication always live in our memory.
I now congratulate the newly commissioned ofcer.
han$ you very much and may God !less you.