CS Duale clarifies June Ruto's selection for National Defence College amid public scrutiny
Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has shed
light on the selection of President William Ruto's daughter, June Ruto, as a
student of the National Defence College (NDC).
This follows viral social media reports on
Wednesday claiming that June had been appointed Director of Foreign Service and
participant at the KDF training institution.
The reports sparked public interest, with
discussions revolving around the intersection of political influence and
opportunities within governmental institutions.
Speaking on Citizen TV's JKLive Show, Duale
explained that June was not appointed to the position but is among 67 students
selected to join the college as part of the institution's 27th cohort for the
2024/25 academic year.
June, Duale added, was nominated for the
1-year course by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she is employed.
"June Ruto, a staff of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, is one of the 67 students that have started their classes
today and she is among the three that were nominated by the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs to do the one-year national security strategy that Foreign Affairs ,
Immigration, KRA, EACC, NIS among other officers enroll for," said Duale.
"So we have 67 students that joined this
academic year and June Ruto is one of them."
Duale officially inaugurated the new cohort
earlier on Wednesday, marking the start of the intensive program to
develop the strategic skills of military and government officials.
"This year's cohort includes 67
participants: 48 from the Kenya Defence Forces and government agencies, and 19
from 16 allied countries in Africa and Asia, reflecting a commitment to
regional and global security cooperation," he said in an X statement
following the event.
"The participants will engage in a
curriculum focused on leadership, strategic studies, and national security,
aiming to equip them with the skills to tackle contemporary security issues.
The presence of international participants seeks to enhance mutual
understanding and strengthen alliances for a unified approach to security."
The National Defence College was established
in 1992 following recommendations from the Defence Council. In May 2000,
the college moved to a new complex within Karen.
Before the inception of the NDC, Kenyan
officers underwent training overseas. In response to the national imperative
for self-sufficiency in training, driven primarily by escalating costs of
foreign training and limited available slots, Kenya decided to establish its
own advanced training institution.
Due to the complexity of developing the right
curriculum, the first NDC course did not start until July 1997. Since then the
College has successfully run courses annually.
"The course size and composition has
increased steadily over the years to include participants from not only African
countries but also from Asia and Europe," reads NDC's website.
"The College was accredited to the
University of Nairobi in 2002 to offer Diploma and Masters of Arts degree in
International Studies as part of the College curriculum to improve on the
quality of the knowledge acquired by participants."
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