Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to preside over this passing out parade of the Armed Forces Officer Cadets who will today join other members of the Armed Forces in serving our country.

I take this opportunity to extend my congratulations to each one of you for successfully completing 20 months of vigorous training in this Academy.

This occasion marks the beginning of your career as officers in our Armed Forces. From here you will be deployed to various units, formations and services of the Armed Forces to begin your career. During your service you will have opportunity to serve Kenyans in various parts of the country and also train or work abroad as part of Kenya ’s contribution to international peace engagements. As you commence your career, I remind you that you are expected to be diligent and to uphold the dignity and good image of the Kenyan Armed Forces at all times and in all places. You are also expected to remain loyal to the country and the Government as prescribed in the oath of allegiance that you have sworn to uphold.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

While we, as a country, take pride in the high professional standards of our military, we must not lose sight of the changing nature and patterns of security challenges. I wish to remind the commissioning young officers that the military all over the world is faced with proliferation of security challenges and technological changes that require new and innovative approaches. You must, therefore, be prepared to adapt to new situations and change when the situation demands.

This also demands that officers continually upgrade their knowledge and skills in order to keep pace with a rapidly changing society. To facilitate further studies, a number of training programmes have been initiated by our Armed Forces in partnership with local universities. In this regard the Kenya Military Academy, which is affiliated to Egerton University, will be a degree awarding institution in the near future. This is part of our efforts towards ensuring that our officers are well equipped to effectively discharge national and international security obligations. I urge officers to take full advantage of these training opportunities as they form the basis of a successful and rewarding career.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Kenya military personnel continue to play a major role in United Nations peacekeeping missions all over the world. Currently, we have deployed 850 soldiers as peacekeepers, military observers and staff officers in Southern Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo , Chad and Darfur. In addition to peace keeping, we have also made great strides towards deepening cooperation with other East African countries. The presence of cadets from Uganda who have undergone this training alongside our own cadets demonstrates my Government’s commitment to the ideals of East African integration which serves our economic and security interests. Indeed, Kenya is fully committed to making operational the Eastern African Standby Brigade as per the roadmap of the African Standby Force. I am optimistic that the force will enable us to deal with peace and security challenges that afflict our region in a more efficient and timely manner.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The deteriorating situation in Somalia has been a key security challenge. Today, this challenge has graduated from being a regional problem to a global challenge. There is now urgent need to address the twin challenges of extremist insurgency in Somalia and piracy off the Somali coastline and the Indian Ocean waters. Kenya will continue to work closely with other IGAD members, the African Union and the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia in the search for sustainable peace. I appeal to the international community to mount a decisive intervention programme as Somalia is now a global problem that can no longer be ignored. In the meantime, I wish to assure Kenyans that our Armed Forces will continue to deploy adequately along our common borders to meet any threats associated with the instability in Somalia.

In conclusion, I congratulate the Chief of the General Staff, the Commandant of this Academy and all members of the Kenya ’s armed forces for the good work they have all continued to do.

With these few remarks, I once again wish the newly commissioned officers the best of luck in their career and service to our country.

Thank you and God bless you.