The new Vice Chief of Defence Forces John Omenda listed up as a soldier on May 23, 1991 and cut his teeth as a decorated pilot of F15 fighter jets.
President William Ruto on Thursday promoted him to the rank of Lieutenant general, a three-star rank, and made him second in command of the entire force.
He takes the place of now general Charles Kahariri who now takes the overall command as the chief of the defence forces. Kahariri has been serving as the VCDF and the acting CDF following the death of Francis Ogolla in a copter crash.
An experienced fighter pilot and a qualified flying Instructor, Omenda rose through the ranks, holding various appointments including Officer Commanding No. 15 Squadron, Commanding Officer Fighter Wing, and Base Commander Laikipia Air Base.
He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier and appointed Base Commander, Laikipia Air Base on July 13, 2018 and later appointed Deputy Air Force Commander on April 30 2020.
He has also held other appointments in Training, Command and Staff including Pilot No. 15 Squadron and Hawk Squadron Pilot. Then president Uhuru Kenyatta promoted him to the rank of Major general and appointed him the commander of Kenya Air force on July 23, 2021.
Omenda commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on August 14, 1992. Besides his training as a fighter pilot, he has trained in other fields including intelligence, security and flight safety.
The Lieutenant general is a graduate of Defence Staff College of Kenya and Royal College of Defence Studies, London, UK.
He has Diploma in Strategic Studies from University of Nairobi, Bachelor of Arts in Peace and Conflict studies from Nazarene University and Master of Arts in International Security and Strategy from Kings College, London.
Omenda also served in United Nations Mission in Liberia from 2006 to 2007.
He is married and blessed with four children. His hobbies include reading and playing golf.