MPs give army Sh19.2bn more for Somalia war

The military has received MPs’ backing for an additional allocation of Sh19.2 billion, the bulk of it — Sh14.7 billion — to bankroll its Somalia operation.

Although Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) are in Somalia under the Africa Union Mission (Amisom), Parliament’s Defence and Foreign Relations Committee says the soldiers are getting their mission subsistence allowances from Nairobi.

“The Ministry of State for Defence will be expected to pay the allowances and thereafter seek re-imbursement from the AU/UN system,” the MPs noted in a report tabled in the House.

Military hardware — armoured personnel carriers, artillery and motor systems, communication equipment and ammunition — will take Sh12.5 billion of the Operation Linda Nchi budget.

The KDF, comprising soldiers from the Kenya Army, the Kenya Air Force and the Kenya Navy, will spend an additional Sh2.2 billion on food, petrol, oil and lubricants.

The MPs have also agreed with the Sh98 million Treasury allocation for the purchase of drugs and specialised military treatment.

The committee also roped the military into the tax-exempt class, saying Sh4.1 billion will be used to “cushion the members of the Kenya Defence Forces from taxation of monetised allowances in the financial year 2012/13”.

Some Sh1 billion has been set aside for emergency security operations.

“It is important to note that this operation has reached a critical stage where it has to be sustained despite our forces having been rehatted to Amisom,” says the report.

The military had asked the Treasury for Sh3 billion for “the maintenance and sustenance of the KDF troops deployed along the Kenya-Somalia border for close and rear operations”, but it was only allocated Sh1 billion.

“The amount provided will not be adequate to sustain the rear operations,” noted the MPs.

Another Sh9.45 billion was sought for “military modernisation programme”, but the Treasury set aside Sh6.65 billion only. The MPs insist that the full request be granted.

“This amount will go a long way in improving the military capability in firepower to tackle the existing and emerging security threats in the region,” they said.

The MPs said the money was needed urgently to ensure that military equipment was in the “highest state of serviceability” that meets “pre-determined United Nations standards so as to accrue maximum reimbursement”.

“The UN will also require that the ministry provides to Amisom other equipment which are not available at the moment due to inadequate funding and the ministry is obligated to procure and avail (sic) the same,” says the report.

The committee also wants the government to fund a joint project by the military, the National Security Intelligence Service and the Communication Commission of Kenya to upgrade the Microwave Communication Network.

“It will be in the interest of the government to fund this migration so that the surrendered frequencies can be commercialised,” added the committee.