Fatumah_Ahmed

Fatumah Ahmed

Fatumah Ahmed

Kenyan air force brigadier

Fatumah Ahmed was a major general in the Kenya Air Force. She was originally a member of the women-only Kenyan Women Service Corps, transferring to the air force when the unit was absorbed into the three armed services in 1999. Ahmed has a degree from the Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies and has served mainly in human resources roles. She was Kenya's first female brigadier.

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Career

Fatumah Ahmed born in 1965 joined the Kenyan Army "by accident".[1] Upon completing secondary school in 1983 she had to return to her home town in order to claim an identification card.[2][3] The military happened to be carrying out a recruitment campaign at a stadium near to the offices of the ID services and she made enquiries about joining.[3] She entered the Kenya Military Academy as an officer cadet in 1984 and upon graduating was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Kenyan Women Service Corps.[3][2] From 1985 she served alongside the Kenyan Air Force, mainly in human resources.[3][2]

Ahmed has a degree from the National Defence College and the Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies and a diploma in management from Strathmore University.[2] She transferred to the Kenyan Air Force when the Women Service Corps was dissolved in 1999 and its personnel integrated into the remaining Kenyan armed forces.[3] This also removed the limitation for members of the Women Service Corps on not marrying or getting pregnant; Ahmed went on to have three children.[4] She served as deputy commander of a battalion and later as head of personnel at the Kenyan Air Force headquarters.[2] Ahmed was promoted to the rank of brigadier on 10 August 2015 and was also appointed managing director of the Defense Forces Medical Insurance Scheme.[2][5] She was the first female brigadier in Kenya.[5]

Ahmed was promoted to major general on 13 July 2018, becoming the first woman to hold that rank in the Kenya Defence forces.[6] She is in a good position to succeed the current Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Kibochi upon his retirement soon.

References

  1. [1]
    Ngirachu, John (25 August 2015). "Kenya: I Joined Military By Accident – Brigadier". The Nation (Nairobi). Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  2. [2]
    "Uhuru shuffles military chiefs". Daily Nation Kenya. 11 August 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  3. [3]
    "I joined military by accident: brigadier". Daily Nation Kenya. 24 August 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  4. [4]
    "Ahmed: My journey to the top in military – VIDEO". Daily Nation. 24 August 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  5. [5]
    "Who Is Fatumah Ahmed? Kenya Military Appoints First Woman Brigadier". International Business Times. 12 August 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  6. [6]
    Njeru, Bettty (14 July 2018). "Who is Major General Fatuma Ahmed?". The Standard. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
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