President Ruto appoints new deputy Aide-De-Camp Lt Col. Joan Osweto

President William Ruto has a new assistant Aide-De-Camp (ADC) Lt Colonel Joan Osweto.

Osweto appeared for the first on Thursday when Ruto flagged off the athletics team for the International Sports Federation (ISF) world cross country at the Sagana State Lodge in Nyeri.

The team will represent the country during the competition to be staged at the Ngong Racecourse from May 9 to May 14, 2023.

Colonel Fabian Lengusuranga from the Kenya Army has been Ruto’s ADC since October last year having taken over Stelu Lekolool from Kenya Navy.

Lekolool who served retired President Uhuru Kenyatta until his exit from power was promoted to a Brigadier and deployed to the Department of Defence headquarters.

Lt. Col. Damaris Agnetta has been deputising Lengusuranga.

She succeeded Lieutenant Colonel Rachel Nduta Kamui also from the Kenya Army who earned a promotion to full Colonel and also deployed to the Department of Defence headquarters.

It was not immediately clear if he (Lengusuranga), a seasoned and decorated military officer who previously served as a senior Special Forces branch commander has been assigned a new role.

Lengusuranga was commissioned in 1999.

According to the National Defence Council, the change is effected from time to time because of the career progression of officers.

The selection of ADC is normally done after consultation with the Council.

No much details were, however, available about Osweto who is from the Kenya Navy.

It is believed that the period in which the ADC will serve depends on several issues, including age, but most of them serve in that capacity for three years.

The role of an ADC is ceremonial, serving as a symbol of authority and dignity for the presidency and assisting on matters of security, protocol, and military tradition.

The ADC is often a highly-trained, senior military officer, required to be part of the president’s itinerary at all times.