NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 7 – The Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will cost Sh7.2 billion.
The revelation was made by the Vice-Chief of Defense Forces Francis Ogolla who was appearing before the National Assembly Defense committee on Monday.
“We are sending troops to the Democratic Republic of Congo for a period of 6 months but in military we plan things for a period of time and thus we have planned for a one year period which will cost us 7.2 billion shillings,” said Ogolla.
Taxpayers will have to fund the peace repatriation process in the war torn country as the deployment of forces is anchored on an agreement reached by East Africa Head of States on 8th April, 2022.
According to Ogolla, the African Union (AU) peace Security Council committed to support the implementation of this program and the funding will be done by multilateral organizations.
Defense Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale mentioned that no single troop has been sent to DRC as they await for the National Assembly to give a nod to the peace initiative.
He mentioned that commencement on the operational strategy commenced during President Uhuru Kenyatta’s regime.
The National Security Council had on July 7 during the campaigns approved the sending of the security consignment and since the National Assembly had gone on a sina-dae, there was no house to approve the cause.
MPs had raised eyebrows on the procedure of sending the 903 troops to the troubled DRC saying the Executive had flouted the law and now the house was being used to rubberstamp the process.
“There was no committee of defense at that time to approve. All that was happening was operational in terms of preparation of troops,” Duale told the committee
“Nobody has been deployed, the committee of defense can choose to approve or disapprove the sending of the troops with a good reason,” he stated.
Kenya is expected to send the troops to the troubled nation which is faced with a major security challenge in the eastern part.
Armed groups in eastern DRC have stepped up attacks, reviving ancient animosities and unleashing a surge in tension with neighboring Rwanda.
Leaders of the East African Community (EAC) agreed in April to establish a joint force to help restore security in the region.
The Kenyan troops, who will be part of the East African Community (EAC) force were deployed on Wednesday, at a ceremony presided over by President William Ruto and Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Robert Kibochi.
“I have had extensive consultations with EAC leaders and we have all agreed that it is our collective responsibility to keep our region and the continent safe. In that extensive consultation, I have come to the conclusion that it is necessary and urgent to make this deployment.”
The troops will join a regional force that includes soldiers from Burundi, Uganda and South Sudan.
“The mandate we have is to support DRC in collaboration with humanitarian agencies, support of DRC armed forces in maintaining law and order to contain the threat of armed groups,” General Kibochi said.
The African Union officials last week appealed for an end to the growing violence in the DRC, a day after rebels made further progress there and Kinshasa expelled Rwanda’s ambassador.
In their statement, the AU officials called for an immediate ceasefire.
