Militaristic Activity

After Kenya had become a republic in 1964, the country’s military had been essentially inactive, perhaps due to the fact that the newly independent state was focusing on becoming self-reliant and did not have the means to pursue militaristic activities outside its borders.  However, Kenya’s defense forces and military have been fairly active in the past two years.  In 2011, the Kenyan government decided to send thousands of troops to the Juba Valley in Somalia to confront the Al Qaeda group, Al-Shabaab, that had established itself there.  Kenya had never before sent its troops to fight in other countries, illustrating the naiveté and inexperience that the newly independent nation had preserved until recently.  The mission was precipitated by several kidnappings both in Kenya and in Somalia and also Kenya’s desire to lessen the influence of the Al-Shabaab extremists.  The success of the mission, entitled Operation Linda Nchi, meaning “protect the country”, initially seemed somewhat improbable, since the Al-Shabaab group was likely more capable in terms of fighting in battle and could easily retaliate with a terror campaign in response to an “inadequate” Kenyan campaign.  The Somalis also had the potential to turn against the Kenyans if they occupied Somalia for an extensive amount of time, adding to Kenya’s risk.

            The Kenyan Defense Forces (KDF) experienced several unexpected hindrances that lengthened and complicated the campaign.  Allies in Somalia did not follow up on their commitments and Al-Shabaab initiated guerrilla warfare, which, predictably, revealed the Kenyans’ unpreparedness due to the fact that they were badly equipped and trained.

            The Kenyan military is still involved in Somalia, and the conflict continues.