Kenya Appoints First Woman Air Force Commander
Fatuma Ahmed has made history in Kenya by becoming the first woman to achieve the rank of Major General in the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF). She has now also become the first woman to serve as a service commander in the history of KDF.
She was appointed alongside other leaders including a new head of the armed forces, following the death of the military chief and others in a helicopter crash last month.
Maj Gen Ahmed has previously held other firsts in the military leadership that is dominated by men – she was the first woman to rise to the rank of brigadier and major general.
She joined the military in 1983, serving under the Women Service Corps, a woman only outfit that operated as a separate entity from the other arms of the defence forces.
They were an auxiliary service offering support duties such as administrative work, logistics, medical and communication.
The unit was disbanded in 1999 and it was only then that its members were allowed to join the main military services the navy, air force and army.
Her rise has been seen as an achievement in promoting gender equality in the armed forces.
She is tasked with quite a Huge responsibility to steer a critical component of the Kenya air force.
The swearing-in ceremony was presided over by President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi.
