Over the past five years, Kenya has received Ksh2.5 billion ($17 million) for its participation in the Somalia peacekeeping mission, currently known as the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia whose mandate is set to end in December next year.
Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale told parliament this week that the funds were remitted to the National Treasury in annual instalments of Ksh500 million ($3.3 million).
In October 2011, the Kenya Defence Forces initiated a military operation in Somalia to pursue the extremist group Al Shabaab following a string of kidnappings that had occurred along the Kenya-Somalia border.
The following year, the Kenyan troops were officially incorporated into the African Union Mission to Somalia (Amisom), operating per United Nations Security Council Resolution 2036. Amisom was subsequently transformed into Atmis, with a scheduled reduction of forces in place until December 2024.
Mr Duale further stressed that the compensation for deceased soldiers serving in Somalia is settled within 30 days.
“If the officer was serving within the country, they immediately get Ksh4 million ($26, 881) above his pension which has a component called death gratuity. If he was serving under Atmis like in Somalia, apart from the Ksh4 million the AU and the UN give that family Ksh5 million ($33,602),” Duale told the National Assembly without revealing how many soldiers and officers who have died in Somalia.
During their ten-year presence in Somalia, KDF has come under at least three heavy attacks from Al Shabaab. Among these, the most severe was the assault that took place in January 2016 at a KDF Forward Operating Base located in El Adde.
Another attempt was made the following year in Kulbiyow resulting in fewer casualties. A similar incident took place in 2012 in Hoosingo, also with relatively lower casualties.
Throughout their deployment, these troops have not only dismantled terrorist cells in Somalia, thus thwarting potential threats to Kenya but have also played a pivotal role in training Somali forces, securing the locals and providing medicine, water and educating women on alternative sources of income.
This week, Duale said more than 4,000 KDF troops will be leaving Somalia as scheduled by the UN despite the recent request by Somalia to delay scheduled September drawdowns by three months.