At the Kenyatta International Conference Center's observance of International Women's Day 2023 on Thursday, President William Ruto's deputy, Aide-de-Camp (ADC), appeared in public (KICC).
When President Ruto took the platform at KICC, Lieutenant Colonel Damaris Agnetta, wearing army fatigues, made a rare public appearance and kept her composure until the Head of State left the stage.
ADC Colonel Fabian Lengusuranga, in several public events, has accompanied the President.
Lieutenant-Colonel Rachel Nduta of the Kenyan Air Force, who had served as President Uhuru Kenyatta's deputy ADC, was succeeded by Colonel Agnetta and appointed in September 2022.
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Agnetta had been the artillery officer for the Kenyan Army before being appointed. She also participated in the Military Observation Mission for the UN.
The President chooses ADCs on his initiative, and they must be Kenyan Defense Forces personnel (KDF).
Contrary to popular belief, the ADC has more responsibilities than serving as the President's bodyguard or personal assistant.
According to Colonel Esther Wanjiku, a KDF official who previously talked to The Standard, the task of ADC is keeping track of the President's schedule and communicating with their leading security team.
She continued that the ADC is a critical military officer who serves the President.
The phrase "Aide-De-Camp", which translates to "assistant in the military camp," is taken from French.
Senior military personnel with extensive training fill these positions and must travel at all times with the President.
