KDF spending skyrockets to $1.21 billion amid incursion in Somalia

NAIROBI, Kenya - The Kenya Defense Forces [KDF ] are among the biggest spenders, data released by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute indicates, with most of the finances diverted to recurrent expenditure and modernization of the force.

Sepri statistics indicate Rose to $1.21 billion in 2018 from $1.16 billion in the previous year. Most of the additional resources were diverted towards the purchasing of modern weapons in compliance with international standards.

The $57 million rise was informed by the appetite to import modern weapons, the company says, although it's at times difficult to prove the spending due to traditional bureaucracies in obtaining classified information from the rather conservative DoD.

The spending is in line with the allocation of National Treasury for the KDF, which had set aside $0.237 billion in the current 2019/2020 financial year on weapons acquisition, a rise from the 2018/19 spending of $1.09 billion to $1.21 billion.

“Of the $1.21 billion spendings proposed for the KDF, $0.237 billion will go into buying military hardware in a ‘defense modernization’ drive,” the National Treasury said. This allocation was a sharp increase from the $0.175 billion spent on the same in 2018/2019.

And just like that, Nairobi becomes the sixth largest military spender in Africa, after heavyweights such as South Africa and Nigeria. This, the report adds, is twice the spending of both Uganda and Tanzania combined.

In March, a similar report by Sipri, which tracked actual arms delivery showed that Kenya had spent $0.0378 billion in payments for the arms it received in 2019. Nairobi also recorded a rise in its ranking on the amount spent on military arms to position 62 last year, from 95 the previous year, showing its rise in arms import spending appetite

Traditionally, Kenya has preferred to purchase military equipment from Serbia, China, Russia, and Israel. But in recent years, DoD has been targeting the American and Italian markets due to the durability of the equipment.

The United States of America still leads with investment in military expenditure, splashing $0.000776 trillion in 2019, which accounted for 38 percent of global military spending. The US has close to 7,000 servicemen in Africa.

But in February, Defense Secretary Mark Esper revealed plans to withdraw some of the forces from Africa, although US Africa Command leader Gen Stephen Townsend expressed reservations about the move. For instance, the 500 troops in Somalia are critical in combating Al-Shabaab.

"The recent growth in US military spending is largely based on a perceived return to competition between the great powers," says Pieter D Wezeman, Senior Researcher at Sipri.

China and India top Asian military spending, becoming the second- and third-largest military spenders in the world. China’s military expenditure reached $27.69 trillion in 2019, while India’s grew by 6.8 percent to $71.1 billion.

Within Africa, the combined military expenditure of states grew by 1.5 percent to an estimated Kshs4.37 trillion in 2019—the region’s first spending increase for five years. Most of the African troops are involved in active wars.

Kenya is also actively involved in the war against Al-Shabaab militants in Somalia. The KDF troops first invaded the Horn of Africa nation in 2011 but have since been absorbed into AMISOM. Although the close to 3,500 troops are paid by the UN, most weapons used in the war are purchased by Kenya.

But AMISOM is set to end its rather successful mission next year, leading to the end of cooperation with Kenya. It's not year clear whether KDF will continue being in Somalia even after the expiry of AMISOM mandate, although the threat of Al-Shabaab is still imminent.

While the troops are have registered several gains against the Al-Qaida linked group, it has, however, managed to wage small to large scale sporadic attacks both in Somalia and across Kenya. For Instance, a US Naval Base was attacked in Lamu on Jan. 5.

Should Kenya choose to withdraw, there is a likelihood that the KDF troops will still be positioned within the porous Kenya-Somalia border, which has registered a spike in the attacks. Intelligence reports also indicate that the militants are extorting locals in northeastern Kenya, further indicating possible extra spending of resources.

In May, there could be changes in the top KDF hierarchy, given that Chief of Defense Forces Gen. Samson Mwathethe is due to retire. It's still unclear if President Uhuru Kenyatta could extend his term for another one-term like he did last year, due to the current COVID-19 menace.

GAROWE ONLINE