Post: | Chief |
Body: | the Kenya Defence Forces |
Insigniacaption: | Chief of Defence Forces Coat of Arms |
Flag: | Flag of the Kenya Defence Forces.svg |
Flagcaption: | Standard of the Kenya Defence Forces |
Incumbent: | Charles Muriu Kahariri |
Incumbentsince: | 2 May 2024 |
Department: | National Security Council |
Abbreviation: | CDF |
Member Of: | Kenya Defence Forces |
Reports To: | President of Kenya |
Residence: | Ulinzi House |
Seat: | Ulinzi House |
Nominator: | Defence Council |
Appointer: | President of Kenya |
Termlength: | Serve a single term of four (4) years or retire upon the attaining of the mandatory retirement age |
Constituting Instrument: | Article 241 of the Constitution of Kenya |
First: | Bernard Penfold |
Deputy: | Vice Chief of the Defence Forces |
The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) is the highest-ranking military officer in the Kenya Defence Forces and the principal military adviser to the President of Kenya and the National Security Council. The CDF outranks all respective heads of each service branch and has operational command authority over the service branches. He leads the meetings and coordinates the efforts of the Service Commander, comprising the CDF, the Commander of the Kenya Army and Kenya Air Force, Kenya Navy and the Commandant of Military Intelligence. The CDF has offices in Ulinzi House. Following the 2010 Constitution, the Chief of the General Staff was replaced with the Chief of the Defence Forces.[1]
The office is considered very important and highly prestigious, because the CDF has command authority over the Armed Forces. The chain of command is from the President (as the Commander in Chief), directly to the CDF. The CDF, as a Principal Adviser, does have authority over personnel assignments and oversight over resources and personnel allocated to the commands within the respective services. The Chairman may also transmit communications to the service commanders from the President. He also performs all other functions as assigned from time to time by the President. The CDF may also allocate those duties and responsibilities to other officers under his name.
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