- Military of Kenya
Infobox National Military
country= Kenya
caption=
age=18
manpower_age=15–49
manpower_data=2005 est.
available= 4,303,153
fit=3,963,532
reaching=unknown
active= 45,000
branches=Kenyan Army,Kenyan Navy ,Kenya Air Force
amount=$231 million (FY2003)
percent_GDP=1.8% (FY2003)The Kenyan military is a professional force that supports existing civil authorities. Its main mission is defence 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) defence portfolio as the Commander in Chief of all the Armed Forces.Background
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 Defence presides over the Defence Council. The Chief of General Staff heads the nation’s Defence Headquarters. The National Assembly is the deliberative body charged with the right to declare war.
Organization
The army's organisation is as follows: 2
armor edbrigade s, 4infantry brigades, 1 engineer brigade, 1 armouredreconnaissance battalion, 2artillery battalions, 3 engineerbattalion s, 1 independentair cavalry battalion, 5 infantry battalions, 1parachute battalion, air wing with 35 armoured helicopters.Equipment
Main Battle Tank
*
Vickers Mk3 : 76
*T-72 : 110 fromUkraine in 2007 with more planned for delivery in 2008. 33 T-72's ordered from Ukraine were hijacked by Somalian pirates.cite web
url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7639090.stm
title= Somali pirates warn off rescuers
accessdate= 2008-09-27
accessdaymonth= 09
accessmonthday= 27
accessyear= 2008
publisher= BBC
quote= Ukrainian Defence Minister Yury Yekhanurov earlier confirmed 33 Russian T-72 tanks and "a substantial quantity of ammunition" were aboard the captured cargo ship, called the Faina.] Recce: 72 xPanhard AML -60/-90, 12 xFerret armoured car and 8 xShorland armoured car ;
APC: 85,Ukraine in 2007, 52 xThyssen Henschel UR-416 and 1- x Panhard M-3 (in store);
SP Artillery: 5 xBM-21 ;
Towed Arty: 48x 105mm., Mortars: 50 x 81mm., and 12 x 120mm.,
ATGW: 40 xMILAN , and 14 xSwingfire ;
RCL 84mm: 80 xCarl Gustav recoilless rifle ;
AD Guns 20mm: 50 x TCM-20, and 11 x Oerlikon;
AD Guns 40mm: 13 x L/70.
Small arms:G3 rifle The Air Force has [ [http://www.milaviapress.com/orbat/kenya/index.php Kenyan military aviation OrBat] ]
7Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter figher aircraft;
37 attack helicopters (11 x Hughes 500MD Defender with TOW, 8 x Hughes 500ME Defender, and 15 x Hughes 500M Defender); 31 transport fixed wing (7 x de Havilland Canada DHC-5D Buffalo, 12 xHarbin Y-12 (II), 10 x Piper PA-31 Navajo, 3 xde Havilland Canada DHC-8 Dash 8 , 1xFokker 70 (VIP), and 6 Dornier Do 28D-2 (in store); 23 transport helicopters (9 x IAR 330 Puma, 13 x Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma, and 1 x Aérospatiale SA 342 Gazelle);
together with 34 training aircraft (12 x Scottish Aviation Bulldog 103/127, 8 x BAe Hawk Mk 52, 12 xShorts Tucano , and 2 x helicopter Hughes 500D. The Air Force also has Air-to-Surface Missile (ASM)AGM-65 Maverick TOW, and Air-to-Air missile(AAM)AIM-9 Sidewinder .Kenya’s Navy has
10 x Missile Craft;
6 x Patrol and Coastal Combatants;
1 x Amphibious Craft; and 5 x Support Vessel.The
General Service Unit ’s Air Wing
comprises 7 x Cessna; and
3 x Bell light helicopters. [Kenya Security [http://www.iss.co.za/Af/profiles/Kenya/SecInfo.html Information] - [http://www.iss.co.za/ Institute for Security Studies] retrieved onMay 28 2007 ]
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).Fact|date=September 2007 A number of Kenyan military personnel participate in international peacekeeping operations in war torn countries under the auspices of the
In addition to the armed forces, Kenya employs up to 40,000 police and paramilitary personnel. The
Finally, the
Military Expenditure
In 1994, military expenditures were $134 million, about 3.9% of the GDP. For the year 1998–99 military expenditures were about $197 million 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 $306 million in the current fiscal year 2005–2006.
Projected Gross Estimates are however estimated at $269 million and $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 $573 million with a projected gross estimate of $552 million and $579 million for the years 2006–2007 and 2007–2008 respectively.
Kenyan National Security Intelligence Service (NSIS)
In 1998, a new act of Parliament in Kenya established the National Security Intelligence Service (NSIS) to replace the former Directorate of Security Intelligence which was commonly known as the "Special Branch" and which was part of the Kenya Police Department [http://www.nationaudio.com/News/DailyNation/290399/News/News33.html] .The NSIS brief, like all other intelligence organisations, is to gather and exploit secret information. It identifies conditions that threaten Kenya's political, economic and social stability. It subsequently develops opportunities and strategies to neutralise such threats. The Current NSIS boss is Maj-Gen Michael Gichangi
In May 1999, President
*1. Administration
*2. Information technology
*3. Internal intelligence L
*4. External intelligence A
*5. Analysis & production
*6. Operations
*7. National Intelligence Academy
It changed name and relocated from its notorious Nyati House offices to new headquarters on the outskirts of the city, near the Windsor Golf and Country Hotel. As the Director general of NSIS, Retired Brig. Boinet is the principle advisor of the President on matters relating to national security. In April 1999, the Moi government appointed Mrs Pamela Mboya, the former Permanent representative to the Habitat, to head a Committee that was charged with formulating a scheme of service for NSIS officers.Security of tenure given the director of NSIS is designed to protect him from such abuse by members of the governing elite. He has the opportunity to say 'no' to any unlawful or sectarian instructions from his bosses without fear of losing his job.Fact|date=September 2007
Officials of the new Intelligence body are:
*Director of operations,
*Director of external intelligence,
*Director of internal intelligence,
*Director of National Intelligence Academy,
*Director of administration,
*Director of economic affairs
*Director of information technology.
The NSIS is rated as one of the best intelligence outfits in Africa and is also the best funded with considerable assets and budget allocations.Fact|date=September 2007
Notes
External websites
* [http://www.mod.go.ke Kenya Ministry of Defense]
* [http://www.nsis.go.ke Kenya National Security Intelligence Service]
* Kenya Security [http://www.iss.co.za/Af/profiles/Kenya/SecInfo.html Information] - [http://www.iss.co.za/ Institute for Security Studies] retrieved on
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