The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) are the armed forces of the Republic of Kenya. They are made up of the Kenya Army, Kenya Navy, and Kenya Air Force. The current KDF was established, and its composition stipulated, in Article 241 of the 2010 Constitution of Kenya; it is governed by the KDF Act of 2012. Its main mission is the defence and protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kenya, recruitment to the KDF is done on yearly basis. The President of Kenya is the commander-in-chief of the KDF, and the Chief of Defence Forces is the highest-ranking military officer, and the principal military adviser to the President of Kenya.
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nairobi, which translates to 'place of cool waters', a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper had a population of 4,397,073 in the 2019 census. The city is commonly referred to as The Green City in the Sun.
A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the title of Bandmaster or Music director. Ottoman military bands are thought to be the oldest variety of military marching bands in the world, dating from the 13th century.
Kenyatta University (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Nairobi. It acquired the status of university in 1985, being the third university after University of Nairobi (1970) and Moi University (1984). As of October 2014, it was one of 23 public universities in the country.
Jamhuri Day is a national holiday in Kenya, celebrated on 12 December each year. Jamhuri is the Swahili word for "republic" and the holiday is meant to officially mark the date when Kenya became a republic on 12 December 1964, one year and six months after gaining internal self-rule on 1 June 1963 from the United Kingdom.
The Kenya Navy is the naval branch of the Kenya Defence Forces. It is headquartered in Mombasa.
The Kenya Army is the land arm of the Kenya Defence Forces.
Gulf African Bank (GAB), whose full name is Gulf African Bank Limited, is a commercial bank in Kenya operating under an Islamic banking regime. It is licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya, the central bank and national banking regulator.
Kenyan–Japanese relations are bilateral relations between Kenya and Japan.
Kenya–United Kingdom relations are bilateral relations between Kenya and the United Kingdom. The interactions between the two states have been positive and friendly since Kenya's independence in 1963. Both the UK and Kenya are members of the Commonwealth of Nations and engage with each other regularly on matters of military, economic and cultural importance. Kenya retains many aspects of British culture and governance, such as continuing to use English within administration, education and the law, driving on the left, hosting a diaspora community of Britons, and having a large Protestant population. The British military continues to play an important role in the country with Kenya hosting the UK's largest base in Africa, which provides vital anti-terrorism training to the Kenyan police. The British royal family, in particular the Queen had very close personal ties to the country. Elizabeth II was in Kenya when she received news that her father King George VI had died, and had made multiple state visits throughout her reign. To mark the 2022 Platinum Jubilee, Prince Edward visited the country to reinforce ties and celebrate Kenya's historic and current relationship with the UK. British tourism and finance are significant contributors to the Kenyan economy, with 100,000 British people visiting the country ever year for its national parks and wildlife.
Kenya–Qatar relations are bilateral relations between Kenya and Qatar. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were first established in 2003.
The Kenya Army Band is the primary military musical unit in the Kenya Army and by extension Kenya Defence Forces. The band was founded shortly after Kenya gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1963 as the successor the Band of King's African Rifles of East Africa formed in 1930 when the British colonized Africa.the first indigenous bandmaster was Yahya Mohamed after being promoted to the rank of WOI he was appointed to head the band of the then Nyasa land its after independence that the band changed its name to Kenya Band, and later to Kenya Army Band. 1968 saw the first African commissioned officer Maj Samson Kisina Nthiwason taking over the leadership of the Band, followed by Lt Col Nicodemus Wasomi when the former retired, and as years went by Col Simon Tipatet became the director followed by Col Martin Macadia. the band was later to grow into two Bands, Kenya army Band A and B respectively. The current Directors of Music are Capt Kelvin Nyaga, Capt J M Muturi, Lt Wycliffe Otanga and Lt Charlene Wamuyu. from independence it was the only band in the Kenya Defence Forces until 1985 when the Kenya Air force band was Formed and later in 1999 the Kenya Navy band. The early bandmasters include WOI Daniel Mutuku and WOI Lucas Kuni. On 11 August 2018 the band was upgraded to a full Unit and handed a Unit Flag at their base in Langata. It is ever present at all national celebrations including Madaraka day, Heroes' Day (Kenya) and Jamhuri Day, All members of the band are aged between 18–26 at the time of enlistment with the band. upon enlistment the new members are sent to the Defence forces school of music for a 44 weeks basic course, and it takes at least 5 years before a musician is considered a principal performer with the band, currently based in Lang'ata Army Barracks having moved from their original station in Nanyuki. Nairobi. The barracks is also home to another of the band's institutions, the Kenya Defence forces School of Music DEFSOM.
The Indian military bands consists of musicians from the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. Indian military bands regularly participate in international festivals and take part in celebrations dedicated to various national events. These bands are permanent participants in the Delhi Republic Day parade on the Rajpath. Today, the Indian Armed Forces have more than 50 military brass bands and 400 pipe bands and corps of drums. A Tri-Services Band refers to a joint Indian Armed Forces military band that performs together as a unit. At the Spasskaya Tower Military Music Festival and Tattoo in Moscow, the band consisted of 7 officers and 55 musicians. The Military Music Wing of the Army Education Corps is the principal educational institution of the armed forces that provides instruction to musicians of all ranks. Instruction is also provided by the Military Music Training Center and the Indian Navy School of Music.
The Kenya Coast Guard Service is a specialized maritime force of the Republic of Kenya, responsible for law enforcement on national waters, including on the oceans, lakes and rivers. The force is mandated to maintain maritime safety, security, pollution control and sanitation. It is also responsible for apprehending and prosecuting offenders.
Bilateral relations exist between Austria and Kenya.
Lieutenant General Walter Koipaton Raria, is a Kenyan military officer. Between July 2018 and July 2022, he served as the Commander Kenya Army, a service branch of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
General (retired) Samson Mwathethe, was a Kenyan military officer. Effective April 2015 to May 2020, he was the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), the highest appointment in the Kenyan armed forces.
The Kenya Air Force Band is the sole musical unit in the Kenya Navy and one of three state-sponsored military bands in the Kenya Defence Forces.
The Kenya Special Forces are units tasked with special operations found within the three branches of the Kenya Defence Forces and are under Special Forces Operations Command. The Army has the largest number of these units under the Army Special Operations Brigade (Kenya) containing the 20th Parachute Battalion (20th Paras), 30th Special Forces Battalion (30 SF) and 40th Ranger Strike Force (40 RSF). The Air Force has a Rapid Deployment Squadron (RDS) tasked with retrieving airmen behind enemy lines and it is the most recent addition to Kenya's specialized military units. The Navy has two units under its Special Operations Squadron which are the Clearance Diving Unit (CDU) and the main Special Boat Unit (SBU) formed with American assistance in the mid 2000s. The Special Operations Training School (SOTS) in Gilgil, Naivasha serves as the premier training establishment for all potential special forces operators. Kenyan special forces have been deployed in Southern Somalia, the Frontier counties of Mandera, Wajir and Garissa on the border with Somalia, Boni Forest near the Somali border and Eastern DRC
Lieutenant General Peter Mbogo Njiru, is a Kenyan military officer, who serves as the Commander, Kenya Army, since July 2022. The Kenya Army is a service branch of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF). Before his present assignment, General Njiru was the commander of the Kenya Joint Command and Staff College, at the rank of Major General.