Secretary-General Appoints Lieutenant General Johnson Mogoa Kimani Ondieki of Kenya Force Commander, United Nations Mission in South Sudan

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today the appointment of Lieutenant General Johnson Mogoa Kimani Ondieki of Kenya as Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

He will replace Lieutenant General Yohannes Gebremeskel Tesfamariam of Ethiopia, who will complete his assignment on 17 June.  The Secretary-General is grateful to Lieutenant General Tesfamariam for his dedication and invaluable service during his tenure in UNMISS.

Lieutenant General Ondieki brings to the position more than 34 years of national and international military, command and staff experience.  Having served as Deputy Army Chief of Staff-Command and Control of Kenya Army Forces since 2013, he was previously General Officer Commanding Western Command, Kenya Army, from 2012 to 2013, and Land Forces Component Commander of the Kenya Defence Forces in Operations from 2011 to 2012.  In addition, he held the position of Sector Commander-United Nations Mission in Sudan from 2010 to 2011.

Lieutenant General Ondieki holds a bachelor’s degree in peace and conflict studies from the African Nazarene University in Kenya, and is also a graduate the War College in China, and of the Command and Staff College in the United States.

Born in 1960, he has three children.