Chief of the General Staff (Kenya)
Encyclopedia
The Chief of The General staff (CGS) is the highest ranking military officer in the Kenya Armed forces and the principal military adviser to the President of the Republic of Kenya and the National Security Council
. The CGS 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 CGS, the Commander of the Kenya Army and Kenya Air Force
, Kenya Navy
and the Commandant of Military Intelligence
. The CGS has offices in Ulinzi House.
The Office of Chief of The General staff is considered very important and highly prestigious, because the CGS as a body has command authority over the Armed Forces. The chain of command is from the President (as the Commander in Chief), directly to the CGS. The CGS, 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 CGS may also allocate those duties and responsibilities to other officers under his name.
The Defence Headquarters has two principal advisers: one military, the CGS; and one civilian, the Permanent Secretary. Neither of these is subordinate to the other. They share responsibility for much of the Military's business, reflecting the input that both military and civilian personnel make to policy, financial, administrative and operational matters.
, he was commissioned and posted to the 5th Kenya Rifles
as a Platoon Commander in 1973 where he did regimental duty up to 1975. General Kianga has been trained in Kenya, the United Kingdom
(UK), India
and the United States of America, where he obtained a Masters degree in Military Arts and Science from Kansas University.
He served on the Directing Staff at the Army Staff College
, UK and Defence Staff College Kenya. He also served as Defence Advisor in Uganda and Chief of Military Intelligence at Defence headquarters. In December 1999, as a Major General, he was appointed General Officer Commanding Eastern Command then Deputy Army Commander and thereafter served as Assistant Chief of General Staff-in-charge of Personnel and Logistics at Defence Heaquarters.
On March 2003 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and appointed Commander, Kenya Army from where he has been promoted to General and appointed CGS, taking over from General (Retired) J R E Kibwana.
National Security Council
A National Security Council is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security...
. The CGS 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 CGS, the Commander of the Kenya Army and Kenya Air Force
Kenya Air Force
The Kenya Air Force is the national Air Force of Kenya.The main airbase operating fighters is Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki, while Moi Air Base in Eastleigh, Nairobi is the HQ & operations Kenya Air Force. Other bases include FOB Mombasa The Kenya Air Force (KAF) is the national Air Force of...
, Kenya Navy
Kenya Navy
Kenya Navy is the naval branch of Kenyan military forces. It is headquartered in Mombasa. Kenya Navy was established on December 12, 1964, exactly one year after Kenya gained independence. It was preceded by the colonial Royal East African Navy...
and the Commandant of Military Intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
. The CGS has offices in Ulinzi House.
The Office of Chief of The General staff is considered very important and highly prestigious, because the CGS as a body has command authority over the Armed Forces. The chain of command is from the President (as the Commander in Chief), directly to the CGS. The CGS, 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 CGS may also allocate those duties and responsibilities to other officers under his name.
The Defence Headquarters has two principal advisers: one military, the CGS; and one civilian, the Permanent Secretary. Neither of these is subordinate to the other. They share responsibility for much of the Military's business, reflecting the input that both military and civilian personnel make to policy, financial, administrative and operational matters.
The Current Chief of the General Staff
General Karangi 'EGH' 'CBS' 'ndc' (K) 'cgsc'(USA), was born on 26 April 1950 in Makueni District. He went to Machakos Secondary School which he completed in 1970. He joined the military in April 1971 and after two years cadet training at the Royal Military Academy in SandhurstRMAS
RMAS may refer to:* Royal Military Academy Sandhurst* Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service of the United Kingdom* Remote Memory Administration System an Operations Support System used in the Bell System* Regional Movement Alert System A passport database...
, he was commissioned and posted to the 5th Kenya Rifles
Kenya Army Infantry
-Mission:The Primary mission of the Infantry formations is to fight and win land battles within area of operational responsibilities in the defense of the nation against land – based aggression, while the secondary mission is the provision of aid and support to civil authorities in the maintenance...
as a Platoon Commander in 1973 where he did regimental duty up to 1975. General Kianga has been trained in Kenya, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(UK), India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and the United States of America, where he obtained a Masters degree in Military Arts and Science from Kansas University.
He served on the Directing Staff at the Army Staff College
Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
, UK and Defence Staff College Kenya. He also served as Defence Advisor in Uganda and Chief of Military Intelligence at Defence headquarters. In December 1999, as a Major General, he was appointed General Officer Commanding Eastern Command then Deputy Army Commander and thereafter served as Assistant Chief of General Staff-in-charge of Personnel and Logistics at Defence Heaquarters.
On March 2003 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and appointed Commander, Kenya Army from where he has been promoted to General and appointed CGS, taking over from General (Retired) J R E Kibwana.