Military officers hold joint drills in preparation for historic day

By Cyrus Ombati

The military has started joint rehearsals as part of preparation for the promulgation of the new Constitution.

Personnel from the military, police, prisons, National Youth Service and council’s fire brigade, yesterday staged a drill to prepare for the August 27 exercise.

They practised how they will march past the main dais.

The units, some aboard armored vehicles had been staging night rehearsals at Uhuru Park, where the new laws will be promulgated.

Others have been flying military choppers and jet fighters, which will fly past the venue as part of the planned celebrations. The military has requested aviation officials to allocate them at least an hour daily in some parts of Nairobi to train without disturbance from other planes.

"We have in the past been allocated the time from aviation officials whenever we trained ahead of public holidays," said Military Spokesman Bogita Ongeri.

The military will display their equipment in public on August 27. There will be a fly past, march past, guard of honour, military displays among other exercises.

Among the equipment to be displayed include, troop carriers, armoured personnel carriers, tanks, mobile hospital, radar communicators, planes and some new jets.