President William Ruto has orchestrated significant high-level changes within the leadership of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), including notable promotions and reassignments of key personnel, effective June 28, 2025. These strategic moves aim to streamline the military structure and position experienced officers in crucial roles.

Among the most prominent beneficiaries of these changes is Timothy Stelu Lekolool, who has been promoted from Brigadier to the substantive rank of Major General. Simultaneously, he has been appointed as the Senior Directing Staff (SDS) at the National Defence College. As SDS at Kenya's premier institution for training senior military and government officials, Major General Lekolool will be responsible for mentoring and instructing senior officers from both the KDF and allied nations on critical matters of defence strategy, geopolitics, and national security. He takes over this vital position from Victor Mburu, who has transitioned to pursue further studies in national security.

Lekolool's career has seen him rise steadily through the ranks. He first gained significant public recognition in July 2018 when former President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed him as his Aide-de-Camp (ADC), a role he served in until September 2022, the end of Kenyatta's term. Lekolool made history as the first ADC to be drawn from the Kenya Navy. During the presidential transition on September 13, 2022, he symbolically shifted his allegiance by saluting and moving to stand behind President Ruto, briefly serving as his ADC before being reassigned to the Department of Defence once Colonel Fabian Lengusuranga assumed the ADC role.

Beyond his distinguished military service, Timothy Stelu Lekolool, the son of the late Provincial Commissioner Francis Lekolool, is also known for his extensive philanthropic endeavors and commitment to community welfare. Publicly, he presents himself as a devoted family man, married with two daughters, and is not hesitant to share moments with his family on social media. His charitable acts include assisting a widow, Elizabeth, and her son with disabilities during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic by providing essential supplies. A strong proponent of education, Lekolool has provided bursaries to needy students, such as those at Kabokyek Adventist Secondary School in Kericho county in June 2021. He also intervened to support a single mother grappling with severe hardships, securing her a job and integrating her and her child into his family. Furthermore, he has adopted a young girl with a missing right arm, providing her with essential parental care.

Another significant promotion in the recent KDF restructuring is that of Colonel Fabian Lengusuranga, who has been elevated to the rank of Brigadier. Brigadier Lengusuranga currently serves as President William Ruto's Aide-de-Camp, a highly visible and strategically important role that requires constant proximity to the Head of State during public engagements and ceremonial functions. Appointed to this role in October 2022, taking over from Brigadier Timothy Lekolool, Lengusuranga is a distinguished Kenya Army officer hailing from the KDF's elite Special Forces unit, known for their advanced tactical training and specialized military expertise.

These promotions are part of broader changes within the KDF, which also saw President Ruto appoint Major General David Kipkemboi Ketter as the new Commander of the Kenya Army, succeeding Lt. Gen. David Tarus, further solidifying the new leadership structure within Kenya's armed forces.