Kenya secures Sh958 million refunds for KDF in Somalia amid donor uncertainty

Kenya collected Sh958 million in reimbursements for its troops deployed in Somalia during the financial year ending June 2025, marking a dramatic recovery after last year’s collapse but still falling short of earlier high points.

According to Treasury records, the amount was more than 11 times the Sh86 million received in 2023–24, a year that saw the lowest inflows in recent history.

Despite this rebound, the figure as reported by Business Daily remains far below the billions earned in previous years when funding for African Union (AU) operations in Somalia was more dependable.

Reimbursements were Sh6.98 billion in 2022–23 and Sh3.6 billion the year before. The peak was in 2020–21 at Sh8.9 billion, almost double the Sh4.6 billion received in 2019–20.

These funds are provided by the AU and its international partners, particularly the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN), to cover the costs of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) operations in Somalia.

Kenya’s troops were first deployed under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) before the force was reorganised into the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) in April 2022.

This year, the mission evolved into the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) as Somalia gradually assumes responsibility for its own security.

The transition from ATMIS to AUSSOM was completed on June 30, 2025, marking a new phase in the AU’s involvement in Somalia that started in 2007.

“AUSSOM officially began operations and its mandate on July 1, 2025, and is scheduled to conclude in December 2029, to support the Federal Government of Somalia to degrade Al-Shabaab and affiliates, support stabilisation in Somalia and enable state-building priorities and ultimately facilitate the orderly transfer of security responsibilities to Somali forces,” the Ministry of Defence stated on July 13.

Despite the launch of AUSSOM, future funding remains uncertain. The UN Security Council on May 12, 2025, did not authorise the implementation of Resolution 2719 of 2023, which would have allowed it to cover up to 75 per cent of costs for AU-led peacekeeping operations. This left the mission without a secure financing mechanism.

The European Union, the largest single donor with nearly €2.7 billion (about Sh408.88 billion) contributed since 2007, has indicated it may not maintain past levels of support, reflecting shifting international priorities and raising concerns about the mission’s long-term stability.

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