Kenya Defence Forces (KDF)

kdf has got allocated an extra 19.5 billion shillings for activities in Somalia..including 6.5 billion setup for equipment modernization.
this is good news.

do we know what is it they want to spend 6.5billion on..? mind you they had requested for 9.5 billion for modernization.?

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/MPs+support+Sh19bn+budget+for+Kenya+soldiers/-/1064/1411750/-/8ukrxy/-/index.html

Efrommers wrote:Can we simply explain Col. Oguna's silence and speculative media reports as alshabaab simply ceasing to engage in combat. It looks like there are no combat related events simply to report. I believe the simple explanation to little info with regards to OLN is the war-zone is transforming to re-align itself into another phase.

@Effromers -Well, it is more banditry than COIN ops, presently. Still, we make preps in case Somali National Dialogue becomes a nonstarter - Intel, Recon,Black Drapes, etc.

Anyway, KDF ''formal'' Media Briefs were killed by AMISOM Threatre-Command discomfort with the freewheeling KDF media engagement. I suspect when KDF is re-engaged in Sector Ops, these will recommence regardless of 'Objections'

There is also the little matter of Command discord on ''Operational Philosophy'' between the disparate AMISOM TCN that is holding back forward movement.

@Countersniper - that Budgetary approval is not ''preemptive'' - if you get my meaning. And that balance 4Billion will still need to be found from somewhere.

efrommers

i have been getting lots of interesting tweets from major chirchir..on kdf activities... so i don't really think there's information dry up...

ole Nkarei wrote:

Efrommers wrote:Can we simply explain Col. Oguna's silence and speculative media reports as alshabaab simply ceasing to engage in combat. It looks like there are no combat related events simply to report. I believe the simple explanation to little info with regards to OLN is the war-zone is transforming to re-align itself into another phase.

@Effromers -Well, it is more banditry than COIN ops, presently. Still, we make preps in case Somali National Dialogue becomes a nonstarter - Intel, Recon,Black Drapes, etc.

Anyway, KDF ''formal'' Media Briefs were killed by AMISOM Threatre-Command discomfort with the freewheeling KDF media engagement. I suspect when KDF is re-engaged in Sector Ops, these will recommence regardless of 'Objections'

There is also the little matter of Command discord on ''Operational Philosophy'' between the disparate AMISOM TCN that is holding back forward movement.

@Countersniper - that Budgetary approval is not ''preemptive'' - if you get my meaning. And that balance 4Billion will still need to be found from somewhere.

what can you buy with 6.5 billion..? a few birds? etc..
this kismayio debate debacle is not healthy. there is too much uncertain activity taking place.
major chirchir has been tweeting pictures of kdf soldiers in deep trenches on the front line it seems they are going nowhere forward very soon.

ole Nkarei wrote:

Vitruvian wrote:

Scathing ..you are too sensitive and perhaps just a tad intolerant. Scathing was your critique of Rasna Warah. I was just attempting to bring some balance to the equation, introduce a perspective you had perhaps not considered. And whereas I agree with you on the dangers of a subversive commentator, I hardly think Rasna Warah is one. She is not the enemy. Whereas we must be vigilant, we cannot afford to start seeing enemies around every corner. We know where that leads.

Nicci, I am not going to risk our friendship with a head-to-head witcha, buddy. I reckon though that you do me disservice by branding me a tad intolerant, shortsighted, subjective. I am confident to be neither of those, though not the perfect man. Neither is Rasna, by gawd!! :D

Cannot be any good in Threat-Analysis , as I am informed I am, if I was subjective, intolerant and short-sighted. Peace, brother. :shock:

A healthy exchange of views cannot (should not) risk a friendship. Nor should a difference in opinion. Nor well-intentioned criticism. These are all elements of intellectual conversation.
I do have an abrasive writing manner but the intention is to provoke said exchanges and conversations, not to injure or insult. To kick-start our sluggish grey cells on lazy Wednesday mornings. To take our minds beyond the perceptible horizon. I have brought Spartan to the brink of despair and apologised most sincerely upon realising the result.
In all honesty, and regardless of general consensus, I do think your blitzkrieg against Rasna was somewhat out of proportion to her article.
Friendship sometimes means making hard calls.

countersniper wrote:efrommers

i have been getting lots of interesting tweets from major chirchir..on kdf activities... so i don't really think there's information dry up...

Good @ countersniper, mind sharing that on a private portal. I had a look at Major's tweeter account and its not updated

countersniper wrote:

what can you buy with 6.5 billion..? a few birds? etc..
.

That is just USD78Million only. Not for the Birds - too little, just about enough for half-dozen Mi-28. Need more, gentlemen, before the Hydrocarbon Infrastructure begins rolling out. Balance not granted of USD35Million for IFV and Tactical troop displacement vehicles. Political class is reading the script pretty well, these days, we are hopeful!!

its nice to see a Ugandan cadet officer emerge top of the class in the Kenyan military academy pass out parade today presided by president and CinC of kenya defence forces mwai kibaki


congrats to Under officer Misingizi Golbert Katesumbwa from Uganda....(WHAT a mouth full)
I have a relative who was in this class who tells me the competition was tough and they feel the guy deserved the trophy


http://www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/Kibaki+urges+vigilance+over+security+threats+/-/1064/1411852/-/dq9r47/-/index.html

Well, this article may help answer some of your questions about delays in taking the port of Kismayo by the KDF:-

http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/ethiopi/articles/20120520.aspx

Olekoima wrote:Well, this article may help answer some of your questions about delays in taking the port of Kismayo by the KDF:-

http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/ethiopi/articles/20120520.aspx

looks like an interesting view. we all seem to be aware of the intrinsic nature of the situation around kismayu. me thinks the kdf problem in not capturing kismayu is political and not military.

Vitruvian wrote:You need to distinguish between a Somali civilian population and an Al Shabaab militia.

Precisely the words I couldn't master in my earlier submission. So much has been said about UGABAG losses, but what is war? A party? These losses by the way stand at 87 for UGABAG and around 150 for AMISOM in total. AMISOM went to Somalia in Feb 2007 and had to fight street by street. Compare that to NATO losses since 2007, all 2485 of them just for the period 2007 - to date.

When other people hear of all this 'avoiding a bloodbath' stuff, I mean it's war, people die. You just got to kill more than you you lose, and with it get the respect of your enemy. AMISOM has demonstrated that it can flush the AS from complex urban theaters with minimal loss of life, like it did with the now famous 'pincer movement' that encircled and drove the AS out of Bakara market without stopping activities in the market for a single day!

I read Gen. John's comments and frankly, I couldn't help but notice the condescending attitude. It's up to KDF to decide when to break its duck, ultimately.

its good to see this place finally alive again.

And it looks like the Jasiri will port at home finally only "IF" Parliament approves the funds to pay off the vessel completely.

http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000058689&pageNo=1

I see analyst said that Alshabab have been regrouping in Puntland and that they waiting to launch a counter attack on the Amisom front in Mogadishu Analyst can u confirm this with your sources.

COIN ops

Ethiopian troops arrive at Yurkud town, Gedo region
"...The move came after Raskamboni militia leader, Sheik Hassan Madobe, asked Ethiopia to send its troops into Lower and Middle Jubba region, south Somalia to liberate Al shabab from the regions.

In response to Ahmed Madobe’s request, Ethiopia Prime Minister Meles Zenawi stated that the Ethiopian troops deployed in south central Somalia a preparing to..."
http://www.keydmedia.net/en/news/article/ethiopian_troops_arrive_at_yurkud_town_gedo_region/

Amazing, ehe!!

So it is the MOU which is causing all this delay by the KDF?

http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000058690&story_title=Kenyan%20Forces%20slowed%20down%20by%20delayed%20Mo

So it is the MOU which is causing all this delay by the KDF?

http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000058690&story_title=Kenyan%20Forces%20slowed%20down%20by%20delayed%20Mo

[quote="cylon"]And it looks like the Jasiri will port at home finally only "IF" Parliament approves the funds to pay off the vessel completely.

http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000058689&pageNo=1


Jasiri? There were rumors that it was headed to Nigeria.

mogen wrote:
In response to Ahmed Madobe’s request, Ethiopia Prime Minister Meles Zenawi stated that the Ethiopian troops deployed in south central Somalia a preparing to..."
http://www.keydmedia.net/en/news/article/ethiopian_troops_arrive_at_yurkud_town_gedo_region/

@Mogen - from the beginnings of our back-and-forth analysis of the KDF deployment into the Somalia Theatre, some discussion about the national sensibilities of the various countries around Somalia particularly in regard to the dynamics that ensued from the KDF deployment. And that Military posturing of the ENDF and the KDF were essentially determined to avoid an eventual crash of the two Forces – the main reason why IGAD originally determined that Countries with Borders with Somalia would not contribute to the AMISOM Force. For Kenya, it is that the two main Clans in Gedo and Juba (generally referred to as the Ogadeni) are replicated in Kenya’s North Eastern Province in population and political influence, and similarly so in the Ethiopian Ogaden Province. Of expediency, therefore, Kenya drive for stability along our border gives logical preeminence of political and social authority to the Ogadenis in Somalia, a factor that Ethiopia fears would trigger renewed agitation for the secession of her Ogaden Province. It is for this reason that Ethiopia, whose EDNF that was supposed to withdraw from Somalia this month upon the deployment of the additional combined UPDF and Senegal half-brigade into the Bay and Bakool Provinces, is recently making rumbling noises about moving south into Lower Gedo (on invitation by Madobe) and lending KDF a hand in the assault of Kismayo. Which would complicate this murky situation no ends, I tell you. Ethiopia is basically politically posturing to ensure that Ethiopia has some influence in the Post-Kismayo Administration of the lower and central Somalia.

@Spartan – you know as well as I do that the UPDF evacuation of wounded & KIA is effected / transits through Nairobi. While I am loathe to bandy about casualty figures to advance any discussion here, the numbers are nowhere near what you indicate in your earlier post. I suggest we leave this sort of detail out of our
discussions? Ama??

by Olekoima on Thu May 24, 2012 8:32 am

So it is the MOU which is causing all this delay by the KDF?

@Olekoima - I said just this a week ago - ""Operational Philosophy"".

Hey come on fellows Vitruvian & Spartan in mind. When did I miss this?? Beles qoqani, fafadun and the like get recaptured by AS after a KDF retreat. Those regions haven’t fallen to any hostile force even as AS regroups. Gentlemen lets refresh and see how we got here

• Create Azania as a buffer zone for Kenya….OLN…Azania a region of the final product Kenyana,.
• KDF moves in takes a lot of ground with a short time
• TGF president gets uncomfortable, smells a rat in the Ops, when KDF in cooperating regional militias in OLN, he threatens to pull out of the coalition if captured areas aren’t handed over to AMISOM. he rush to M7 for support.
• KDF joins AMISOM in order to; have the legal mandate for monitoring and occupying captured region plus a valid entry/exit visa to Somalia at will in the name of a an AMISOM brigade.
• A Chess Game in play. KDF to continues with its initial objective; create a buffer zone with Afmadow and kismayu as key towns for the region.

What I am driving at is our objective; create a peaceful Buffer zone hasn,t changed it only got redirected along the way. We will create that zone and THE END (positively) SHOULD JUSTIY THE MEANS for us doing so be it by a Ballot or a Bullet. My it linger in you, Somalia will be our neighbor until the second coming of the Messiah. I therefore urge you the gentlemen of the forum and side onlookers that advocate for a thrust full push and blaming KDF on a dilly dally stalemate ,to look at the broad picture here post the OLN/AMISOM onslaught.
Four year from today
• a hydrocarbon pipeline from SS to lamu port lay at a grenade throw distance for Somalia.
• A multi-million Lamu port, a Mortars launch distance from Somalia.
• A railway passes through an IED capable area next to Somalia.

Its shear logic that any operations we conduct should retain cordial relation thereafter with the surrounding communities. So again I say THE END SHOULD JUSTIY THE MEANS.

The best and successfully way is to avoid as much as possible collateral fields and situation which Chest-thumping operation will direct us into. the current AS est. calls for a level playing field that involves bombing of ammunition dumps stored in Mosque, schools or accidentally shoot that man who is a father, a husband and finally losing hearts and minds of families and the community at large .
Based on how the AS has mounted its defenses and comm. structures, it fair to say the organization wants to suck us into collaterals incidents, incident that we have so far professionally eluded. We know that and we also have 4 years post OLN in mind. we ought to be utmost friends and in peace with those communities considering the investment tag for their neighborhoodsthat we will setup. That is the corner stone in our planners MEANS of operations, the Ballot (discussions) or the Bullet (confrontation).
It’s as simple as that.

nothing has stalled

@jasiri..wewe kijana unazungumza hapa are Are you digging in your investment? an aviation question
Q1. at what altitude do you set your altimeter after landing ? At the zero mark or equal to the altitude you just landed in. haraka haraka answer.

Yes, this is more like it. An answer to the queries of those who have become increasingly restless and critical, June it is:-

http://allafrica.com/stories/201205240050.html

ole Nkarei wrote:
@Mogen - ...Of expediency, therefore, Kenya drive for stability along our border gives logical preeminence of political and social authority to the Ogadenis in Somalia, a factor that Ethiopia fears would trigger renewed agitation for the secession of her Ogaden Province. It is for this reason that Ethiopia, whose EDNF that was supposed to withdraw from Somalia this month upon the deployment of the additional combined UPDF and Senegal half-brigade into the Bay and Bakool Provinces, is recently making rumbling noises about moving south into Lower Gedo (on invitation by Madobe) and lending KDF a hand in the assault of Kismayo...

[/quote="Olekoima"]by Olekoima on Thu May 24, 2012 8:32 am: So it is the MOU which is causing all this delay by the KDF?@Olekoima - I said just this a week ago - ""Operational Philosophy"".

@ON: Axemed Madobe invites Ethiopia to come and lend a helping hand to KDF!!!!!!. Recently Madobe ordered his boys to take Afmadow. Something is not right here. No doubt, that part of the theatre calls for a very delicate balancing act and patience and tact are fundamental.

@ON: I saw your earlier comment ("Operational Philosophy") and sensed that that was the message you were conveying. The grounds [aka MoU] must be clear and agreed to otherwise things can't work.

Spartan wrote:

Risasi wrote:The region hasn’t seen peace for decades; other force has been on the country for plus 2 years with no success surely we can wait a few more months

The overcautious approach of KDF is beginning to stretch Kenyans' patience and explanations can only go so far. Granted, loss of life is regrettable anytime, but those weapons and bombs are not meant to shoot at trees and rocks, they are for killing and defending oneself.

@ spartan, i beg to differ with you on this point.. having weapons is one thing.. but managing to use them in the efficient manner possible is the key towards winning a war.. the key is in understanding the enemy and where to hit him hard.. the warfare setting is experiencing dynamic changes thus i believe that the wait is important.... the AS too understand that fact n thats y they attack after conducting their analysis..

ole Nkarei wrote:ed]by Olekoima on Thu May 24, 2012 8:32 am

So it is the MOU which is causing all this delay by the KDF?

@Olekoima - I said just this a week ago - ""Operational Philosophy"".

Sure i saw that, but guys have continued to read from different scripts and have even gone a head to critisize the force for inaction.

can't fail to wonder how a S.F squad maneouvers with a 40 inch rifle. @ON i thought we had a carbine version of the the Golf 3? Nice pic tho...the irony of a black man with face paint makes you more visible in my book.

@ jasiri answer the above question ASP

Risasi wrote:@ jasiri as the above question ASP

@Risasi, why are you giving Jasiri such a hard time?

ole Nkarei wrote:
by Olekoima on Thu May 24, 2012 8:32 am. So it is the MOU which is causing all this delay by the KDF?

@Olekoima - I said just this a week ago - ""Operational Philosophy"".

@ Ole Nkarei
The best way to fight deception/disinformation is by prompt dissemination of correct information. Speculators and story spinners are defeated easily and silenced by truth exposed eg what we read here. http://allafrica.com/stories/201205240050.html

KDF, whether in AMISOM or not, must manage the Kenyan public's need for information. The Colonel's weekly briefings or the Tweeting Major's tweets or similar avenues of disseminating info must be factored into the theatre ops.

Waambie.

@Risasi pole, slow net question n i was posting previous reply under Ole Nkarei's question.
[qoute]Q1. at what altitude do you set your altimeter after landing ? At the zero mark or equal to the altitude you just landed in. haraka haraka answer.[/quote] That would be the QNH n i do it at ground level of aerodrome.(alt i landed) if i do it at zero mark i run the real risk of burying myself deep in the runway.

hehehe 1013.25hpa, Pressure altitude. had myself in knots there.

Olekoima wrote:Yes, this is more like it. An answer to the queries of those who have become increasingly restless and critical, June it is:-

http://allafrica.com/stories/201205240050.html

Man aint it great to find "life again" ... where had all ya folks gone MIA to...

interesting dialogue on the KDF "delay"... in my view the situation needs "heads on a shoulder strategy" not gun ho bravado, the dynamics involved; clans, alliances, civilians, MOU's e.t.c need to be considered critically before any major offensive is undertaken, otherwise we might find ourselves taking more than just time ... once the light goes green it needs to be a "surgical" operation ... as for the Kenyan tax payers i doubt they have manenos as is being expressed by the media; a couple of media reports in the right places sometimes have the ability to make an issue appear colossal while it's at best commentary/personal loud thought from some "expert" who has at best spent a week in a combat theater. However increased body bags, hostility from Somalis at home and in pacified areas, plus the opportunity for the "human rights watch" to publish fresh bullshit on civilian deaths in Kismayo...this would surely serve to turn around sentiment on the KDF, and i bet AS know this too well and cant wait to put it to test ... and this MOU thing what are the intricate details?