Kenya’s Defense Forces (KDF) full-spectrum dominance is manifesting in East and Central with its capability to navigate long distances to promptly provide military and relief support to Kenya’s strategic partners being core of this capability.
The Kenyan troops through the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs deployed its new fleet of Long-Range Military Aviation Transport capabilities (C-27J Spartans) to support the Governments of Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo respectively. The two countries are in dire of humanitarian assistance and security support citing they are battling with ISCAP militancy.
The Government of Kenya has already deployed four plane loads containing about 34 tonnes of humanitarian and food aid to the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo DR-Congo following the devastating volcanic eruption of Mount Nyiragoro, Goma Province which left thousands of families displaced and in dire need of humanitarian assistance. KDF swiftly responded by supplying medicine and dried foodstuffs including, meat and meat products, onions, cabbages, potatoes, carrots among others from Troop’s Gilgil Food Processing Factory on behalf of the Government of Kenya. The distribution carried out as civil-military cooperation will benefit the affected families.
The humanitarian assistance and food aid delivered by the Kenya Defense Force is an expression of Kenya’s solidarity and friendship with the government of DR Congo and will go a long way to support the affected families as well as reinforce state intervention for humanitarian aid.
Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta recently made a State visit to DR Congo in which the two countries signed a number of agreements to accelerate cooperation. Kenya announced plans to expand its diplomatic footprint in the brotherly nation by setting up consulates in Goma and Lubumbashi.
In East Africa, Kenya’s intervention in Somalia was launched ‘to protect its territorial integrity from foreign aggression especially the one perpetrated by the Al-Qaeda aligned Al-Shabaab. Kenya troops have continued to play a central role in combating the Islamist Al-Shabaab in Somalia and in retaliatory, Kenya has also suffered brunt of terrorist activities. That notwithstanding, KDF troops have gone way beyond the call of duty to offer the much-needed humanitarian assistance to Somalia citizenry under their sector. Thousands of households have benefited from KDF supplies of water and foodstuffs. KDF medical teams have also offered free medical camps in their respective areas of responsibility in sector 2.
Back at home, KDF troops have severally offered humanitarian assistance to Lamu County residents. Kenya Defense Forces medical personnel in Lamu county previously have joined health practitioners from the King Fahad hospital to Mangai village for a free residents’ medical camp.
The KDF teams have provided Mangai residents with medical services including diagnosis and treatment, fumigation, sanitation, distributed mosquito nets among other humanitarian assistance. Kenya Defense Forces troops operating in the Boni Enclave have continued to offer assistance to residents of Lamu county in a bid to improve their livelihoods.
Geo-strategically, these aviation capabilities add more value to diplomatic relations besides defense cooperation, both critical in strengthening country Geopolitical muscle in the region and beyond.
