President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday presided over an Officer Cadets Commissioning Parade at Kenya Military Academy in Lanet, Nakuru County.
The officers were honoured for having completed a challenging and rigorous three years' training.
The training included Cadets from Kenyan neighbours within the East Africa Region including Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
In his speech, Uhuru, who was accompanied by the First Lady Margaret Kenyatta, expressed optimism that the joint training would help strengthen national ties and collective responses to the security challenges in the region.
"I have no doubt that the Commissioned Cadets will be going back to their respective countries having acquired first-class training from one of the foremost military training institutions in Africa.
"Most significantly, I am confident that the friendships established amongst you will contribute to the strengthening of our national ties and our collective responses to the security challenges that we continue to face in our region," Uhuru said.
"To the Kenya's incoming crop of Officers, as your Commander-in-Chief, it gives me great pride to witness your addition to the ranks of our Defence Forces."
Uhuru noted that Kenya and her allies' defence forces must individually and collectively be prepared to respond effectively to diverse challenges, from both conventional and asymmetric spheres.
"To effectively contain the security challenges of the 21st Century, training within the military must be better aligned with emerging threats across all domains, and the expanded demands placed on the shoulders of our Forces," he said.
"As the military maxim states, "train hard so that you may fight easy"; officers, today is not the end of your learning and training."
He reminded the cadets that their learning to acquire knowledge, and to sharpen their skills and competencies shall be a daily endeavor throughout the entire course of their career in uniform.
"You are not merely warriors at arms. You are defenders of the fundamental ideals held dear by all our Nations and our Peoples. You stand ready to fight, so that our nations may be safe and prosperous. You will also be called upon to respond to natural disasters, to your fellow citizens in need; and to the cries of vulnerable foreign people, in dire need of protection by the peacekeepers," he said.
Uhuru expressed regret for the families of the commissioned officers not being present physically due o the Covid-19 pandemic.
"We would have liked you to be with us physically to witness your sons and daughters being honoured for their performance; but this invisible enemy – COVID-19 Pandemic, that has invaded the globe has made it necessary to rethink our ways of conducting business," he said.
"It is my sincere hope that even though from your homes, you were still able to witness this monumental occasion. We thank you for you encouragement, thoughts and prayers, which spurred these fine men and women to this momentous day."