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.
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