According to the 2010 Kenyan constitution there are three organs of national security; the Kenya Defence Forces, the National Intelligence Service and the National Police Service.
Kenya Defence Forces is made up of three services; the Kenya Army, the Kenya Navy and the Kenya Air Force. The membership into the forces is voluntary and requires high integrity and self-discipline.
The Kenya Defence Forces as stipulated in Article 241 of the constitution;
- Are responsible for the defence and protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic;
- Shall assist and cooperate with other authorities in situations of emergency or disaster, and report to the National Assembly whenever deployed in such circumstances; and
- May be deployed to restore peace in any part of Kenya affected by unrest or instability only with the approval of the National Assembly.
The act also clearly states that regional and ethnic balance should be observed in the recruitment to the forces as well as the command composition.
Each of the three services has a commander who is under the chief of general staff/Kenya Defence Forces. They are all members of the Defence Council which is responsible for the overall Kenya Defence Forces policy, control and supervision.
