7 Kenya Rifles is a battalion of the Kenya Army Infantry. It came into being on June 8, 1968, at Gilgil in a British army camp which had been abandoned since 1964.[1] The first commanding officer of the unit Was Lt Col Wambua. The unit relocated to its current base at Langata in 1973.[2] The Maroon Commandos is a military band belonging to the battalion.[3]

7th Kenya Rifles
Active8 June 1968; 55 years ago (1968-06-08)
Country Kenya
Branch Kenya Army
TypeInfantry
Rolelight infantry
Garrison/HQLangata Barracks, Nairobi
ColoursMaroon
EngagementsOperation Linda Nchi
African Union Mission in Somalia

Overview edit

The battalion between 2003-2004 saw extensive support from the United States through training 250-450 of its personnel.[4] The training involved field intelligence, command and control and basic maneuver and firepower. The battalion's leadership underwent the program first before transitioning as trainers to the rest of the battalion. The training cycles lasted approximately four weeks and further support in terms of equipment worth $3.8 million was provided to the battalion.[5]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Sethi, Kanwal (November 29, 2016). Shaping Destiny. FriesenPress. ISBN 9781460293768 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ Kenya Yearbook Editorial Board 2010, p. 426.
  3. ^ "Soldier marches back to his roots". Archived from the original on 2012-02-17. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
  4. ^ "Kenya Army-Order of Battle-Light Forces".
  5. ^ "Kenya Army-Order of Battle-Light Forces".
  • Kenya Yearbook Editorial Board (2010). Kenya yearbook 2010: a new dawn for Kenya. Nairobi: Kenya Yearbook Editorial Board. Physical details: ix, 1150p. : Col. ill. ISBN 978-9966151704. Basic details on the battalions of the Kenya Rifles circa 2010.