Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Leaders Honoured With French National Decorations

Senior Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) leaders have received prestigious French national decorations in recognition of their distinguished service and contribution to strengthening defence and security cooperation between Kenya and France. During a ceremony held on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, at the Residence of France in Nairobi, the French Ambassador to Kenya, His Excellency Wadid Benaabou, conferred the Legion of Honour (Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur) on Lieutenant General John Omenda and Lieutenant Colonel Michael Gense. Lieutenant General David K. C. Tarus, Vice-Chancellor of the National Defence University-Kenya (NDU-K), was conferred with the National Order of Merit (Ordre national du Mérite) in recognition of his distinguished service and contribution to defence cooperation. The decorations were presented on the sidelines of a seminar bringing together French Defence Attachés serving in East Africa, alongside military authorities and representatives of the Kenya Defence Forces. The occasion provided a platform to recognise individual service while highlighting the depth of defence relations between Kenya and France. The Legion of Honour is France’s highest national order