Military chief’s last public function
Departed Chief of Defense Forces General Francis Ogolla was last seen in public on Wednesday at the Bomas of Kenya where he had accompanied President William Ruto to preside over the closure of the third National Wage Bill Conference 2024.
Photos shared on Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s Facebook account showed him in animated conversation with the second in command and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi as they waited to welcome the President.
On Tuesday, the Chief of Defence Forces was at the Ulinzi Sports Complex, Lang’ata Nairobi where he led officers during the Defence Forces Physical Readiness Test (DFPRT).
Also undertaking the exercise were the Assistant Chief of Defence Forces Personnel and Logistics Major General David Keter, General Officer Commanding Border Security Command Major General John Nkoimo, Director of Medical Services Major General George Ng’ang’a, Commandant Defence Headquarters Camp Admin Unit Brigadier Willy Wesonga among other Senior Officers.
DFPRT is an annual exercise conducted across KDF inline with the Defence Forces Standing Instructions No 3 of 2021. The aim is to test the soldiers’ physical fitness.
The exercise entails measuring the Body Mass Index, and physical exercises which test the soldier’s upper body strength, strength of the core and endurance through a series of push-ups, sit-ups and a 3.2km run respectively, considering one’s gender, age, height and weight.
Addressing the KDF personnel after the exercise, Gen Ogolla underscored the importance of physical fitness in any military, saying there are many health benefits that come with it.
“USCL is an excellent facility that has immensely contributed to the improvement of sports in the country since its construction, and official opening in April 2022. I encouraged all KDF personnel to utilise the facility for individual and team training,” he said.
Gen. Ogolla was previously the Commander of the Air Force and Vice Chief of Defence Forces.
Last month President William Ruto appointed Ogolla as the taskforce chairperson on the Development of Kenya Home of Human Origins Museum and Science Park in the Lake Turkana Basin steering committee.
The fallen General joined the Kenya Air Force on April,24, 1984 and was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant on May, 6, 1985.
He trained as a fighter pilot with the United States Air Force (USAF) and was also a competent instructor pilot.
