President William Ruto on Thursday promoted Brigadier Fatuma Ahmed to Major General and named her the Commander of the Kenya Airforce, the first woman to hold the position in Kenya’s history.

Before her appointment to the position on May 2, Fatuma served as the Senior Directing Staff Air, a position she attained after her appointment by President Ruto in 2023.

Major General Fatuma first grabbed the headlines in August 2015 when she was promoted to Brigadier, a post no woman had held in the male-dominated Kenyan military.

Ahmed first joined the army in 1983 where she served under the Women’s Service Corps.

She was commissioned to the rank of Second Lieutenant in 1985 and posted to the Kenya Air Force.

Education

Maj Gen Ahmed is a graduate of the National Defence College, a training facility for senior commanders in the Military of Kenya, including the army, navy, air force and special forces.

She is also an alumnus of the Defence Staff College where she graduated in July 2000, in addition, she holds a Diploma in Management from Strathmore University College.