NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya has marked a historic milestone in its contribution to global peacekeeping after the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) deployed Brigadier Joseph Douglas Mokwena as a Sector Commander in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).
The appointment makes Brigadier Mokwena the first Kenyan Flag Officer to assume a senior command and leadership role within MINUSCA, signalling an expanded and more influential Kenyan presence in one of the United Nations’ most complex peacekeeping missions.
Military officials said the deployment represents a significant elevation of Kenya’s role in the mission, where the country had previously contributed Military Observers (MILOBS) and Military Staff Officers (MSOs), but not senior operational commanders.
The move places Kenya firmly within MINUSCA’s senior command structure, reflecting growing international confidence in the country’s professionalism, leadership, and long-standing commitment to peace and security operations on the African continent.
Following his appointment, Brigadier Mokwena paid a courtesy call and conducted a familiarisation visit with the MINUSCA Force Commander, Lieutenant General Humphrey Nyone, at the Force Headquarters in Bangui, Central African Republic. He has since formally assumed command of MINUSCA Sector West, headquartered in Bouar.
In his new role, Brigadier Mokwena will command a multinational force comprising contingents from Bangladesh, Tanzania, and Cameroon, alongside the Peru Engineering Company, Senegal’s Quick Reaction Force (QRF), the Bangladesh Level II Medical Hospital, and the Bangladesh Aviation Detachment.
The United Nations and MINUSCA leadership welcomed Kenya’s expanded participation, noting that the appointment strengthens the mission’s impartiality, operational effectiveness, and representation of shared global peacekeeping values.
Officials within the mission said the inclusion of a Kenyan senior officer enhances leadership diversity and reinforces cooperation among contributing nations at a time when MINUSCA continues to face complex security, humanitarian, and stabilisation challenges.
Kenya has built a strong reputation in international peace operations over decades, having contributed troops, police and military observers to missions under the United Nations and the African Union in countries including Somalia, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Darfur.
Defence analysts say Brigadier Mokwena’s appointment reflects the evolution of Kenya’s peacekeeping profile from participant to strategic leader, positioning the country as a key contributor to decision-making and operational command within multinational missions.
“The presence of a Kenyan senior officer at MINUSCA symbolises Kenya’s consistent commitment to peace and stability across Africa and beyond,” a defence official said, adding that such appointments also help build leadership experience within the KDF at the highest international levels.
MINUSCA was established by the United Nations Security Council in 2014 to help stabilise the Central African Republic, protect civilians, support the political process and facilitate humanitarian assistance.
The mission operates in a volatile environment marked by armed group activity, communal violence and fragile state institutions.
Kenya’s entry into MINUSCA’s senior leadership is expected to open the door for broader engagement in future UN missions, while reinforcing the country’s diplomatic and security footprint across the continent.
As Brigadier Mokwena takes up his new command, officials say the deployment not only elevates Kenya’s standing within the UN peacekeeping framework but also underscores the country’s aspiration to remain a leading voice and actor in promoting peace, stability, and multilateral cooperation in Africa and globally.
