The last few weeks have been very tough for the military. In particular, it contended with an unprecedented development. Never before in its history has the military buried a sitting chief of defence forces.
The untimely demise of Major General Francis Ogolla threw the military establishment into uncharted territory. But besides the loss, the military also made news for less honourable reasons.
In Turkana, there were reports of conflict between military officers and the police, with soldiers reportedly raiding a police station to free their arrested colleagues. Not long afterwards, related reports emerged of a similar disagreement at the Likoni crossing channel between military staff and the police.
KDF is renowned for discipline and bearing the country’s honour, so these troubling incidents have the potential of soiling the much-vaunted reputation of our soldiers. Whereas differences between the military and internal security agencies are not entirely new, the recent frequency invites critical questioning.
The recent trend has witnessed increased use of the military in civilian spaces and for domestic assignments. This has especially been so since President Ruto assumed his place as Commander in Chief.
Not long after being sworn in, he ordered military involvement in ending the protracted banditry problem in the North Rift. Deployed alongside the internal security agencies, the deployment was not without tensions.
Chain of command challenges were reportedly central to the tensions. Within the same operational context, the President ordered the military to take the lead in the restoration of schooling infrastructure in the region. In fact, General Ogolla met his death while executing the President's order.
The military's deployment in the operation against banditry has not gone unchallenged. The opposition has repeatedly faulted the move, arguing the law requires Parliament to approve deployment, saying the President has violated the law.
Most recently, the opposition faulted President Ruto’s order for the deployment of the military to stem banditry in West Pokot. He made the order while commissioning a Devki group-owned clinker plant. The government argues that the military is incorporated in a police-led operation, and therefore no parliamentary approval is needed.
President Ruto’s favoured approach comes as no surprise. He showed his preference long before becoming Commander in Chief. Early on as Deputy President, he ordered the deployment of the military to Marsabit for disarmament following inter-clan violence that claimed casualties. Parliament strongly opposed the decision, arguing that it lacked constitutional and legal backing.
Legal arguments and counterarguments aside, the fundamental is whether it is wise, or even strategic, to resort to the military as an immediate option for domestic challenges, especially security-related challenges.
Doesn't it inevitably degrade the military's power and prestige, partly associated with the KDF rarely seen in civilian spaces?
Assuming KDF’s direct involvement in domestic security operations struggles to register success, what message does that send, how is it perceived, especially in the eyes of foreign enemies? Familiarity, it is said, breeds contempt. There is the real risk that continued use of the military as a low-hanging option for domestic reasons erodes the pride and power of the military.
The President should take a step back and review the place of military in his security philosophy. The current path, I'm afraid, risks eroding the military’s prestige and strategic positioning. A better option would be to upgrade the capacity of internal security agencies both through enhanced training and provision of equipment suitable to address target domestic security challenges.
While at it, I am not sure what it serves to have a Chief of Defence Forces being almost always present at the airport as the President leaves the country. It's part of purposeless legacy habits that need to be abandoned.
Political commentator. [email protected]