KDF takes pride of place among Africa’s militaries
Kenya Defence forces, under Africa Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom), soldiers patrol Afmadow town in Somalia on November 22, 2015. Five years down the line, KDF has proved its detractors wrong and is now one of the most respected militaries in Africa. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- In May, Kenya’s was ranked as the 11th most powerful military in Africa by the Global Firepower, an agency that assesses military strength of nations.
- As years have passed, the soldiers have proved that the decision to invade Somalia was not a blunder.
In a conversation with US diplomats which was leaked by anti-secrecy organisation WikiLeaks, Mr Yoweri Museveni, Uganda’s President, was among the world leaders who questioned the capacity of the Kenya Defence Forces.
He termed it a “career army” that could not be relied upon to fight Al-Shabaab.
Such remarks came from a host of world leaders, politicians and military strategists and the international press that other than dismissing Kenya’s reasons for going to war also added that “Kenyan troops were only good for marching during parades”.
“(The case for war is less than convincing) as it is difficult to argue that the threat from Al-Shabaab is substantially worse than it has been in years past,” the Foreign Affairs magazine reported, adding: “Kenyan troops have armed, trained, and organised proxy forces to fight Al-Shabaab on the border since at least 2009, albeit to no great effect.”
The magazine further argued: “Since independence in 1963, Kenyan soldiers have been largely content to collect comfortable salaries in return for their non-involvement in politics.”
Al Jazeera news channel termed the incursion “Kenya’s blundering mission in Somalia”.
Five years down the line, KDF has proved its detractors wrong and is now one of the most respected militaries in Africa.
In May, Kenya’s was ranked as the 11th most powerful military in Africa by the Global Firepower, an agency that assesses military strength of nations.
Global Firepower ranked Kenya’s military as the best in East Africa based on its manpower, equipment, geographical location, logistics and finance.
Five years ago, the decision to commit troops was not publicly declared by the then Commander-In-Chief President Mwai Kibaki or his co-principal Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
BEST DECISION EVER
Instead it was announced by the country’s top security chiefs, including Internal Security minister George Saitoti, Permanent Secretary Francis Kimemia and Defence Minister Yusuf Haji.
When reporters questioned Mr Kimemia about the size of the troop commitment, he declined to offer details saying the military would make its own operational decisions.
“Kenya has been and remains an island of peace, and we shall not allow criminals from Somalia, which has been fighting for over two decades, to destabilise our peace,” Prof Saitoti said, when making the announcement.
Another man of the moment was the then Government Spokesman Alfred Mutua who claimed that the Kenyan military would “track down and dismantle Al-Shabaab”.
On the day after the incursion, the headline of the Sunday Nation of October 16, 2011, captured the moment of the time with the headline “Kenya troops off to war”.
The newspaper reported “ground, air and navy soldiers ordered to pursue Al-Shabaab militia right into Somalia in a bid to stop cross-border kidnappings that threaten to undermine the country’s security and economy”.
As years have passed, the soldiers have proved that the decision to invade Somalia was not a blunder.
