The 9th Battalion, Kenya Rifles is a light infantry battalion of the Kenya Army headquartered at Moi Barracks near Eldoret.
Background
The 9th Battalion was formed on 1 September 1979 when its members were pooled from existing Kenya Rifles Battalions. The unit was presented with its Presidential and Regimental colours in 1980 by President
Daniel Arap Moi
Daniel Toroitich arap Moi ( ; 2 September 1924 – 4 February 2020) was a Kenyan politician who served as the second president of Kenya from 1978 to 2002. He was the country's longest-serving president. Moi previously served as the third vice ...
. The battalion is part of the Kenya Army's Western Command and covers the western parts of Kenya from external and internal aggression. The unit's first commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel
Daniel Opande
Daniel Ishmael Opande (born 18 August 1943) is a retired Kenyan military officer, who rose to the rank of Lieutenant General in the Kenyan Army. Education
He is a graduate of the British Army's Mons Officer Cadet School, which he joined in 1963. O ...
.
Experience
The unit took part in Exercise Natural Fire in 2006 with allied countries and has seen extensive action in southern Somalia against Al Shabaab and was among the units that participated in the
Battle of Kismayo (2012)
The Battle of Kismayo was an offensive led by the Kenya Defence Forces, under the codename Operation Sledge Hammer, to seize the port city of Kismayo, Somalia, from Al-Shabaab from 28 September 2012. Fighting alongside the Kenya Army were Ras ...
. The operation codenamed Operation Sledgehammer led to the capture of the city in an amphibious and ground operation. The unit was also involved in the largest ambush in the Kenya Army's history in El Adde. The company manning the forward operating base was drawn from the 9th Battalion under Major Geoffrey Obwage. The unit trooped its colours for the first time during