Lieutenant General Joseph Kiptoo Kasaon was appointed to the rank of Vice Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces in the recent promotions by the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces. The promotions come in the wake of the Chief of Defence Forces’ retirement.
Lt-Gen Kasaon who is currently the Kenya Army Commander since his appointment to the position in July 2011. He has had very booming military carrier spanning close to 35 years.
Lt-Gen Kasaon was commissioned into the army in 1976 after attending Cadet training course at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst (UK). He was posted to 5 KR as a platoon commander after his commissioning.
He has held various high-ranking positions in the Kenya Defence Forces including;
- Commanding officer 9 KR
- Commandant School of Infantry
- Head of Writing Team , Defence Staff College
- Colonel Intelligence, Military Intelligence Corps
- Chief of Operations HQ Kenya Army
- Chief of Operations Defence Headquarters
- Commandant school of Combat
- General Officer Commanding Eastern Command
- Senior Directing Staff
- Army at National Defence College
- Commandant National Defence College
Lt-Gen Kasaon has a remarkable track record and has steadily risen through the ranks to the ranks of the second most important person in the military. He escaped the ‘Tonje Rules’ cut off with this appointment. Lieutenant Generals are supposed to retire at the age of 58 or after serving a maximum of 4 years whichever comes first. Lt-Gen Kasaon has been Lieutenant General since 2011 and is bound to attain the statutory retirement age in January.
Among the major achievements that Lt-Gen Kasaon can be remembered for in his tenure as the Kenya Army Commander is the Operation Linda Nchi and the success the Kenya Defence Forces experienced in Somalia especially the recapture of the Port City, Kismayo.
Lt-Gen Kasaon was born on January, 10th 1958 in Koibatek District, Baringo County. He is married to Sarah Jerop and they have four children Christopher, Stephanie, Lucia and Sylvia.
He was born in 1958. In 1976, he had graduated from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst meaning he joined the army at around 16-17. Now he has served for 35 years as you put it. All these do not add up.