Military of Kenya

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Military of Kenya is the national army of Kenya.

Military branches: Kenyan Army, Kenyan Navy, Air Force

The Kenyan military is a professional,force that supports existing civil authorities. Its main mission is defense of the country's borders in a notoriously unstable region. Military commanders resist pressure to become involved in politics, including intervention in tribal clashes. The Police or General Service Unit (GSU) are generally used for politically sensitive missions. The President also holds the Government of Kenya (GOK) defense portfolio as the Commander in Chief of all the Armed Forces.

The Department of Defence (KDOD), like the police, is part of the Office of the President. All but senior military officers are appointed, promoted, and, if necessary, removed by the military's professional personnel system. The President appoints and retires senior military officers. Just under the president, the Minister of State in the Office of the President presides over the Defense Council. The Chief of General Staff heads the nation’s Defense Headquarters. The National Assembly is the deliberative body charged with the right to declare war.

Military manpower - availability:males age 15-49: 8,313,051 (2004 est.) Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 5,150,405 (2004 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $231 million (2003) ($179.2 million (FY01)) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.8% 1.8% (FY01)

Organization

The army's organization is as follows: 1 armed brigade, 2 infantry brigades, 1 engineer brigade, 1 armored reconnaissance battalion, 2 artillery battalions, 2 engineer battalions, 1 independent air cavalry battalion, 5 infantry battalions, 1 parachute battalion, air wing with 15 armored helicopters.

Materiel

Its equipment includes 76 Vickers, Mark 3 tanks, 76 armored reconnaissance vehicles, 62 armored personnel carriers, 56 105 mm guns, 12 155 mm Howitzers, 30 mortars, 50 recoil-less rifles, and a number of antitank guided weapons. The army's air forces are made up of 28 combat aircraft, 22 transports, 14 trainers, and 44 helicopters. The Navy has 3 patrol boats and 4 fast attack craft. Kenya's naval base is in Mombasa; its air bases include Eastleigh Airport (Nairobi), Nanyuki, Embakasi, Nyeri, Mombasa, and Kisumu [1]. The British military retains a presence in Kenya, with 300 British military officers on duty supporting the Kenyan armed forces. Combined training exercises are held annually. An agreement with the United States in the early 1980s gave US forces access to Kenyan air force and naval facilities in exchange for increased military and economic aid.

Personnel

The Kenyan Armed forces include about 45,000 personnel, including the army (40,000), the navy (1,000), the air force (4,000), and KDOD headquarters staff (200). A number of Kenyan military personnel participate in international peacekeeping operations in war torn countries under the auspices of the United Nations.

In addition to the armed forces, Kenya employs up to 40,000 police and paramilitary personnel. The Kenya Police, which report to the Commissioner of Police in the office of the president, field about 18,000 officers. The General Service Unit (GSU) has around 5,000 paramilitary personnel. In addition, Administration Police (AP) report to local District Commissioners, who in turn report to the office of the President.

Finally, the National Youth Service (NYS), which is administered by the office of the president, provides some paramilitary training to young job trainees and are about 2000. Other forces include the Kenya Prisons with about 16,000 personnel. Military service is fulfilled by voluntary enlistment, generally for a period of nine years. However due to the present dismal economic situation, annual recruitment of new constables in all the military is not more than 2000 personnel. Kenya's armed forces combat worthiness against an opposing organized military in the field remains untested since independence. The armed forces successfully suppressed some 10 continuous years of cross border raiding by Somalia.

Kenya's Military Expenditure

In 1994, military expenditures were $134 million, about 3.9% of the GDP. For the year 1998 /99 military expenditures were about US$ 197 about 1.9% of the GDP. For the fiscal year 2004/2005, the net approved expenditure for the Department of Defence amounted to about US $ 236 million. This was however increased to US$ 306 million in the current fiscal year 2005/2006.

Projected Gross Estimates are however estimated at US $ 269 million and US$ 283 million for the fiscal years 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 respectively. The total expenditures for all the disciplined forces for the current fiscal year 2005/2006 is US$ 573 million with a projected gross estimate of US$ 552 million and US$ 579 million for the years 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 respectively.

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