In October 2022, barely a month after taking over at the president, William Ruto changed his security and included a female Aide-de-Camp (ADC).
The Head of State appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Damaris Agnetta as his assistant ADC, to deputize Colonel Fabian Lengusuranga.
She appeared for the first time in public on Thursday, March 2 during the re-launch of the Women Enterprise Fund and the launch of the second product of the Hustler Fund.
But who is Agnetta and how did she rise through the ranks to her current position? Here is what WoK has gathered about the same.
Career Path
Agnetta joined the army in 2003 under the rank of Second-Lieutenant, the first rank given to officers within two years after graduating.
For her to serve in her current role, she passed through four other ranks namely Second-Lieutenant, Lieutenant, Captain, Major and Lieutenant Colonel.
Captains are senior officers who have demonstrated strong leadership skills and have typically served for several years as Lieutenants. They are responsible for larger units of soldiers and may serve as company or battalion commanders.
Majors have demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and have typically served for several years as Captains. They may be responsible for entire battalions or other large units of soldiers.
Before appointment as the assistant ADC, Agnetta was serving as an artillery officer in the Kenyan Army.
In this role, she was responsible for indirect fire support, ground-based air defence, surveillance and target acquisition.
Agnetta has also previously served in the United Nations Military Observer Mission.
Aide-De-Camp is a French word meaning helper in the military camp. A president has the liberty to choose the ADC who has to be a member of the KDF.
The selection of Aide-de-Camp is normally done after consultation with the National Defence Council.
The period in which the ADC will serve will depend on several issues, including age, but most of them serve in that capacity for three years.
The Aide-de-Camp’s roles include managing the president’s diary and liaising with the main security team.
Colonel Fabian Lengusuranga of the Kenya Army has succeeded Timothy Lekolool as President William Ruto’s Aide-de-Camp.
Brigadier Lekolool, who previously served as President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Aide-de-Camp between July 2018 and September 2022.
He was deployed to the Department of Defence (DoD) Headquarters in Nairobi.
Lengusuranga joined the army in 1999, and he has served in among other roles, the senior special forces branch commander.
