UN pays Kenya Sh4bn for troops based in Somalia

Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) in Somalia. Photo/FILE 

By NEVILLE OTUKI, notuki@ke.nationmedia.com

In Summary

• Treasury documents show that the reimbursement was above the Sh3.5 billion the Treasury was expecting from the UN in the nine months to March.
• The refund is linked to the money spent by its troops in Somalia under the African Union Mission (Amisom).
• The UN will offer it Sh6.1 billion in the next fiscal year starting July.

The United Nations has offered Kenya Sh4.3 billion as compensation for money spent by its troops fighting Al-Shabaab militants in Somalia.

Treasury documents show that the reimbursement was above the Sh3.5 billion the Treasury was expecting from the UN in the nine months to March.

This helped ease budgetary constraints in a period that saw the State announce austerity measures including putting a stop to project spending, stoppage in hiring and pay rise freeze.

The cash also signals faster disbursement from the UN after delays last year that prompted Kenya to issue a protest to the Security Council, saying failure to reimburse Kenya the money was not only “unacceptable”, but also “unsustainable.”

The refund is linked to the money spent by its troops in Somalia under the African Union Mission (Amisom). The UN will offer it Sh6.1 billion in the next fiscal year starting July.

“Security is necessary for encouraging investment, accelerating growth and creating more jobs for our youth. To this end, the following allocation has been provided; Sh6.1 billion for Amisom ,” reads a document submitted by the National Treasury secretary to Parliament.

READ: Kenya to seek Sh6bn refund from UN for Somalia war troops

Kenya launched an incursion into Somalia in response to incessant attacks and kidnappings by Al-Shabaab militants within its territory. Kenya formally sent 4,660 of its soldiers to Somalia in October 2011.

A year later, the UN Security Council, gave Kenya the green light to join Amisom, a decision that meant it would not bear the full costs of the incursion.

Amisom is an eight-year- old operation with nearly 20,000 troops from Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti, Sierra Leone and Kenya, which was the last to join the stabilisation force.

Amisom refunded Kenya the monies spent from the date of the UN resolution until June 2012 when Amisom began catering for the soldiers directly.

Under the deal, Kenyan soldiers were to receive a monthly allowance of Sh88,408 ($1,028) besides their salaries as well as a comprehensive medical cover and access to advanced equipment.

Kenya’s entry into Somalia to battle Al -Shabaab has triggered a series of grenade and bomb attacks that has been blamed on the militant group, which wants Kenya to withdraw from the country.

This has spurred Britain the United States, Australia and France to warn their citizens about travelling to Kenya in advisories that have seen hundreds of tourists leave the country.

Tourist arrivals in Kenya fell 15.8 per cent to 1.49 million last year as security worries kept visitors away. The sector is one of Kenya’s biggest foreign exchange earners, employing 150,000 people.