What was once deemed impossible in the past decades has been broken by Major General Fatuma Ahmed Gaiti. She is now part of the executive suite in the Kenya Defence Forces.
Fatuma Ahmed Gaiti holds the highest position ever attained by a woman in Kenyan military history. Her journey dates back to the 80s when she was first introduced to the military by her late uncle who served in the forces.
She observed and admired traits she saw in her late uncle such as hard work, discipline, and self-motivation. Her decision to join the military was disapproved by many at the time. She joined the military in 1983, serving under the Women’s Service Corps.
Reports suggest that Gen. Fatuma Ahmed joined the military forces by ‘accident’. One day as she was returning home from school after completing secondary school, she passed by a stadium near military offices, where a recruitment exercise was taking place.
She made inquiries to join, and the following year, she was accepted as an officer cadet.
“Some of my family members discouraged me from being in the forces. They said that’s not a profession for women but I was determined to make a difference in my life,” she said in a past interview.
She was commissioned to the rank of Second Lieutenant in 1985 and later posted to the Kenya Air Force in 1999.
The year 2000 marked a milestone in the KDF when women were allowed to join all three main services: the Kenya Air Force, Kenya Army, and Kenya Navy. This opened doors for staunch women like her and many others to progress through the ranks.
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“We have been deployed in various phases of operations in the military at the tactical level, operational level. Basically in defence, attack, rescue, reconnaissance; we are spoilt for choices,” she said.
It’s an exciting time for women in the services, especially after the trailblazing woman became the first woman to be appointed at the helm of the Kenya Air Force.
A woman of many firsts in a traditionally male-dominated field, Gen. Fatuma Ahmed was also the first Kenyan woman soldier to attain the rank of Major General.
She rose from the brigadier rank and was appointed Chief of Defence Forces in charge of Personnel and Logistics. Here are some of her other notable accomplishments in her service career:
- Batallion Second In Command (BN 2IC)
- Staff Officer II Audit Personnel and Records
- Colonel Personnel at the Kenya Air Force Headquarters
- Managing Director, Defence Forces Medical Insurance Scheme
Major Ahmed is an alumnus of the National Defence College located in Karen. She also graduated from the Defence Staff College in July 2000. She holds a Diploma in Management from Strathmore University.
