The Kenya Army is the land arm of the

Kenya Defence Forces The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) ( sw, Majeshi ya Ulinzi ya Kenya, stylized as "KENYA ARMED FORCES" capitalized on its coat of arms) are the armed forces of the Republic of Kenya. They are made up of the Kenya Army, Kenya Navy, and Kenya Air Forc ...

History

The origin of the present day Kenya Army lie with the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

King's African Rifles The King's African Rifles (KAR) was a multi-battalion British colonial regiment raised from Britain's various possessions in East Africa from 1902 until independence in the 1960s. It performed both military and internal security functions withi ...

. In the last quarter of the 19th Century the British began actively enforcing the abolition of the slave trade in East Africa. During the same period other European nations were also developing

spheres of influence In the field of international relations, a sphere of influence (SOI) is a spatial region or concept division over which a state or organization has a level of cultural, economic, military or political exclusivity. While there may be a formal al ...

in Africa. The British established the

Imperial British East Africa Company The Imperial British East Africa Company (IBEAC) was a commercial association founded to develop African trade in the areas controlled by the British Empire. The company was incorporated in London on 18 April 1888 and granted a royal charter by Q ...

to take care of its interests. As these interests developed and expanded, there was need to create a more formidable force to safeguard these interests and expansion, and thus the first British land forces in Kenya were created. In June 1873 the

Sultan of Zanzibar The sultans of Zanzibar ( ar, سلاطين زنجبار) were the rulers of the Sultanate of Zanzibar, which was created on 19 October 1856 after the death of Said bin Sultan, who had ruled Oman and Zanzibar as the sultan of Oman since 1804. The ...

Barghash bin Said of Zanzibar Sayyid Barghash bin Said al-Busaidi,(1836 – 26 March 1888) ( ar, برغش بن سعيد البوسعيد), was an Omani Sultan and the son of Said bin Sultan, was the second Sultan of Zanzibar. Barghash ruled Zanzibar from 7 October 1870 to ...

, signed the final treaty to abolish slave trade throughout his territories.Early History of Zanzibar
accessed January 2021. Enforcing the abolition became the task of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

; within three weeks Admiral Arthur Cumming,

Commander-in-Chief, East Indies The East Indies Station was a formation and command of the British Royal Navy. Created in 1744 by the Admiralty, it was under the command of the Commander-in-Chief, East Indies. Even in official documents, the term ''East Indies Station'' was ...

, arrived at Zanzibar. In 1877 a Royal Navy officer, Lieutenant Lloyd Matthews, serving on formed a small force of 300 Zanzibaris to combat the slave trade. In 1878 Lieutenant Matthews was given leave to serve under the Sultan who appointed him

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

in command of the newly established force. By 1880 the force had grown to 1300 men who were all armed with Snider rifles donated to the Sultan by the

British Government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_es ...

. On 8 September 1888 the Imperial British East Africa Company was granted a royal charter and was charged with the responsibility of administering

British East Africa East Africa Protectorate (also known as British East Africa) was an area in the African Great Lakes occupying roughly the same terrain as present-day Kenya from the Indian Ocean inland to the border with Uganda in the west. Controlled by Britai ...

on the lines of a Crown colony. In 1893 the three-year contract with the Indian contingent came to an end. During the same period the company was experiencing serious financial problems that had led to the abandonment of

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

and Jubaland in fact, the company could barely police the coast. The then British Consul in Zanzibar, Sir Arthur Hardinge, notified the Foreign Office of his intention of taking over East Africa from the company. The British government accepted. On 1 July 1895 a British protectorate was declared over all the areas previously administered by the company. The company troops were subsequently reorganized under Captain Hatch. In August 1895 the British government sanctioned the establishment of a force composed of 300 Punjabi, 300 Swahili, 100 Sudanese, and 200 soldiers from various ethnic groups in the region. This force was renamed the

East African Rifles East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...

and was formed from the former

force in

Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of the British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital city status. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...

(

Fort Jesus Fort Jesus (Portuguese: ''Forte Jesus de Mombaça, Spanish: Fuerte de Jesús'') is a fort located on Mombasa Island. Designed by Italian Giovanni Battista Cairati, it was built between 1593 and 1596 by order of King Felipe II of Castille, ...

). Before the Second World War, British colonial forces in Kenya, the now-

, in the main, were small:

There was no
conscription Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...
and the army was extremely selective, recruiting soldiers from ethnic groups with supposedly inherent military qualities, the so-called "
martial races Martial race was a designation which was created by army officials in British India after the Indian Rebellion of 1857, in which they classified each caste as belonging to one of two categories, the 'martial' caste and the 'non-martial' caste. T ...
." In the 1920s and 1930s, martial races included the
Kamba Kamba may refer to: *Kamba people The Kamba or Akamba (sometimes called Wakamba) people are a Bantu ethnic group who predominantly live in the area of Kenya stretching from Nairobi to Tsavo and north to Embu, in the southern part of the f ...
,
Kalenjin Kalenjin may refer to: * Kalenjin people The Kalenjin are a group of tribes designated as Highland Nilotes and are descended from Maliri people ''(thus related to Daasanach of Ethiopia.)'' The Kalenjin are cousins with Datooga people of Tan ...
, and Somali, pastoral semi-pastoral groups from impoverished regions. In contrast, Kikuyu and Meru of central Kenya were hardly found in the army. The Second World War brought a massive expansion of military personnel. From an interwar strength of less than 1,000 men, the armed forces increased to 75,000 by 1943. Thus, every tenth adult man was serving in the military, representing about 20 percent of the wage labor force. The huge demand for able-bodied and skilled men was met by extending the recruitment pool to communities the British did not consider martial. Additionally, the military offered wages above civilian levels. In 1941 the pay ranged between 17 and 60 shillings per month for a newly trained private in the East African Military Labour Service and East African Army Service Corps respectively, whereas civil wages for unskilled labor averaged between 8 and 12 shillings.22 The military offered additional pulls such as uniforms, housing, food, professional training, and promotion.

African Troops in Burma during the Second World War SE1884

As part of the

, indigenous soldiers from Kenya Colony fought in several campaigns during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. They fought against the Italians in

Italian East Africa Italian East Africa ( it, Africa Orientale Italiana, AOI) was an Italian colony in the Horn of Africa. It was formed in 1936 through the merger of Italian Somalia, Italian Eritrea, and the newly occupied Ethiopian Empire, conquered in the Seco ...

during the East African Campaign, against the

Vichy French Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its terr ...

in Madagascar during the

Battle of Madagascar The Battle of Madagascar (5 May – 6 November 1942) was a British campaign to capture the Vichy French-controlled island Madagascar during World War II. The seizure of the island by the British was to deny Madagascar's ports to the Imperial ...

, and against the Japanese in

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

during the Burma Campaign. Initially, the KAR was deployed as the 1st East African Infantry Brigade and the 2nd East African Infantry Brigade. The first brigade was responsible for coastal defence and the second for the defence of the interior. By the end of July 1940, two additional East African brigades were formed, the 3rd East African Infantry Brigade and the 6th East African Infantry Brigade. Initially a Coastal Division and a Northern Frontier District Division were planned, but, instead, the 11th African Division and the 12th African Division was formed. The two divisions included East African,

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

ian,

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

n, and South African troops. A Nigerian brigade, together with two East African brigades (the

brigades) and some South Africans, formed the 11th African Division. The 12th African Division was similarly formed, but with the Ghanaian brigade instead of the Nigerian brigade. The 11th African Division was disbanded in November 1941 and the 12th African Division was disbanded in April 1943. In 1943, the 11th (East Africa) Division was formed and it fought in

. In addition, two independent infantry brigades were sent from East Africa to India for service in Burma. The 22 (East Africa) Infantry Brigade served in the Arakan under command of XV Indian Corps, while the 28th (East Africa) Infantry Brigade served under IV Corps, playing a crucial role in the crossing of the Irrawaddy River.

Mau Mau Uprising and independence

The KAR fought against the Mau Mau rebels under the command of British officers in the 1950s and on the side of loyalist Kenyans and those who advocated a peaceful transition to independence, such as

Jomo Kenyatta Jomo Kenyatta (22 August 1978) was a Kenyan anti-colonial activist and politician who governed Kenya as its Prime Minister from 1963 to 1964 and then as its first President from 1964 to his death in 1978. He was the country's first indigenous ...

. KAR battalions listed included 3 KAR (Kenya), 4 KAR (Uganda), 5 KAR (Kenya), 6 KAR (Tanganiyka), 7 & 23 KARs (Kenya), 26 KAR (Tanganyika). As stipulated in the Kenya Military Forces (Naming of Units) Order 1964, 3 Battalion KAR, 5 Battalion KAR, 11 Battalion KAR, three attached training companies, Headquarters 70th (East African) Infantry Brigade, 1 Signal Squadron, 91 General Transport Company, workshops, and a variety of other

Combat service support The term combat service support (or CSS) is utilized by numerous military organizations throughout the world to describe entities that provide direct and indirect sustainment services to the groups that engage (or are potentially to be engaged) ...

units were handed over to the new Kenya Army during the process of independence for Kenya in December 1963 and January 1964. Kenyan authorities quickly began considering a parachute capability. "On October 14, 1964, the first batch of 40.. were sent to Britain for Parachute Basic Training course" at

RAF Abingdon Royal Air Force Abingdon or more simply RAF Abingdon was a Royal Air Force station near Abingdon, Oxfordshire. It is now known as Dalton Barracks and is used by the Royal Logistic Corps. History The airfield was opened in 1932, initially as ...

. Similar numbers ..followed until about 200 Kenyan troops qualified to form the 1st Independent Parachute Company on April 24, 1965." In 1977 (probably during the

Ogaden War The Ogaden War, or the Ethio-Somali War (, am, የኢትዮጵያ ሶማሊያ ጦርነት, ye’ītiyop’iya somalīya t’orineti), was a military conflict fought between Somalia and Ethiopia from July 1977 to March 1978 over the Ethiopi ...

) a Somali force crossed the border into northern Kenya. The same year Kenya placed an order with

Vickers Defence Systems Vickers plc was the remainder of Vickers-Armstrongs after the nationalisation of three of its four operating groups: aviation (as a 50% share since 1960 of British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) in 1977), shipbuilding ( Vickers Limited Shipbuilding ...

in the UK for 38 Vickers Main Battle Tank Mark 3 main battle tanks plus three

armoured recovery vehicle An armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) is typically a powerful tank or armoured personnel carrier (APC) chassis modified for use during combat for military vehicle recovery (towing) or repair of battle-damaged, stuck, and/or inoperable armoured f ...

s (ARVs) which were all delivered by 1980, forming Kenya's initial tank battalion. Another order was placed in December 1980 for a further 38 Mark 3s, plus four ARVs, which were all completed at the works, if not delivered, by December 1982. After Kenya invaded Somalia in

Operation Linda Nchi Operation Linda Nchi ( sw, Linda Nchi; "Protect the Country") had the Kenya Defence Forces enter southern Somalia beginning in 2011. The Kenyan government declared the operation completed in March 2012, but its forces then joined AMISOM in So ...

in 2011, 6 Brigade became "fully fledged" in 2012. 6 Brigade was installed on the outskirts of

Garissa Garissa ( so, Gaarrisa) is the capital of Garissa County, Kenya. It is situated in the former North Eastern Province. Geography The Tana River, which rises in Mount Kenya east of Nyeri, flows through the Garissa. The Bour-Algi Giraffe Sanctuar ...

town after Modika Barracks there was "launched" by President

Uhuru Kenyatta Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta (born 26 October 1961) is a Kenyan politician who served as the fourth president of Kenya from 2013 to 2022. Kenyatta was chosen by Daniel Arap Moi as his preferred successor, but Kenyatta was defeated by opposition le ...

on Friday 13 December 2019. Also moved there from

Embakasi Embakasi is a neighbourhood in the city of Nairobi. It is approximately , southeast of the central business district. Embakasi is considered part of Nairobi's Eastlands area, lying to the south-east of Nairobi County. The Embakasi proper covers ...

in Nairobi was 17 Kenya Rifles ("One Seven"). The other battalions of the brigade were 19 KR at Nyali Barracks just north of

and 21 KR at

Mariakani Mariakani is a town in Kenya lying on the boundary of Kaloleni and Kinango districts (formerly Kilifi and Kwale respectively) in the old Coast Province of Kenya, 36 kilometres northwest of the port city of Mombasa. Administration during colonial p ...

Barracks. By 2021, the

International Institute for Strategic Studies The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is a British research institute or think tank in the area of international affairs. Since 1997, its headquarters have been Arundel House in London, England. The 2017 Global Go To Think T ...

listed 31 Type-92 wheeled

armoured personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...

s and 105 South African PUMA M26-15 Protected patrol vehicles in service. On 1 May 2021, ''

The Nation ''The Nation'' is an American liberal biweekly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper tha ...

'' wrote that about 1,600 Army troops drawn from 20th Para, 30 Special Forces, and the Long Range Surveillance unit of the Directorate of Military Intelligence, would be dispatched to serve with

MONUSCO The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or MONUSCO, an acronym based on its French name , is a United Nations peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) which was estab ...

n_the_Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo.html" ;"title="Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo.html" ;"title="n the Democratic Republic of the Congo">n the Democratic Republic of the Congo">Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo.html" ;"title="n the Democratic Republic of the Congo">n the Democratic Republic of the Congo with second rotation replacements coming from "the American-trained 40 Rangers Strike Force (40RSF), the Special Boat unit of the Kenya Navy and the Clearance Diving Unit," while the "newly formed Marine Commandos" also expected to be sent at some point. Congolese President Tshisekedi said “Kenya will voluntarily be part of the Rapid Intervention Brigade." The Kenyan contingent was "expected to replace South African troops.. and will be working alongside soldiers from Nepal." "A majority of the Kenyan soldiers will be part of MONUSCO."

Peacekeeping missions

The Kenya Army has participated and continues to participate in international peacekeeping, Peace Support Operations. These activities were first considered in 1973 when the United Nations requested Kenya to contribute forces to UNEF II which was to separate Israel and the Arab states after the

October War The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was an armed conflict fought from October 6 to 25, 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab state ...

. Though Kenya acceded to the UN request, the troops were not deployed. The first participation of the Kenya Army in Peace Support Operations was in 1979, when the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

requested the Republic of Kenya to contribute troops for the Commonwealth Monitoring Force in

Rhodesia Rhodesia (, ), officially from 1970 the Republic of Rhodesia, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa from 1965 to 1979, equivalent in territory to modern Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was the ''de facto'' successor state to the British colony of S ...

(now Zimbabwe). The Monitoring Force supervised the arrival and cantonment of the rebel

Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) was the military wing of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), a militant African nationalist organisation that participated in the Rhodesian Bush War against white minority rule of Rhod ...

and

Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) was the military wing of the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU), a Marxist–Leninist political party in Rhodesia. It participated in the Rhodesian Bush War against white minority rule of Rhodes ...

(ZIPRA) forces, and included 51 Kenya Army personnel under Colonel Jack Munyao who ran one of the 14 Assembly Points. Subsequently, the Kenya Army contributed officers towards peace support operations in Chad in 1982 on the request of the

Organization of African Unity The Organisation of African Unity (OAU; french: Organisation de l'unité africaine, OUA) was an intergovernmental organization established on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with 32 signatory governments. One of the main heads for OAU's ...

. In 1989 the Army sent military observers and an infantry battalion to Namibia. Kenya has ranked number 6 out of the 90 countries who contribute military and civilian police to the UN operations. Since 1989, Kenya has contributed military observers, staff officers, civilian police monitors, and infantry troops to various missions. The level of participation has also included force commanders, chief military observers, and chiefs of staff to the following UN and

African Union The African Union (AU) is a continental union consisting of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the Africa ...

missions: *

United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia The United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL) was a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Liberia. It was established in Resolution 866 (1993) and headquartered in the capital Monrovia. UNOMIL was created as part of the Cotonou Agree ...

(Liberia) – Chief Military Observer *

United Nations Mission in Liberia The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) was a peacekeeping operation established in September 2003 to monitor a ceasefire agreement in Liberia following the resignation of President Charles Taylor and the conclusion of the Second Liberia ...

- Major General

Leonard Ngondi Leonard or ''Leo'' is a common English language, English masculine given name and a surname. The given name and surname originate from the Old High German ''Leonhard'' containing the prefix ''levon'' ("lion") from the Greek wikiwikiweb:Λέων, � ...

was appointed Force Commander in December 2012. *

ONUMOZ The United Nations Operations in Mozambique (ONUMOZ, pt, Operação das Nações Unidas em Moçambique) was a UN peace mission to Mozambique established in December 1992 under Security Council Resolution 797 with the assignment to monitor the i ...

in Mozambique – Chief Military Observer *

United Nations Transitional Assistance Group The United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) was a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping force deployed from April 1989 to March 1990 in Namibia, known at the time as South West Africa, to monitor the peace process and elections there. ...

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...

– then Brigadier Daniel Ishmael Opande was appointed Deputy Force Commander *

United Nations Protection Force The United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR; also known by its French acronym FORPRONU: ''Force de Protection des Nations Unies'') was the first United Nations peacekeeping force in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav War ...

(UNPROFOR) in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia – Chief Military Observer *UNMOP (Croatia) – Chief Military Observer *

AMISOM The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) was a regional peacekeeping mission operated by the African Union with the approval of the United Nations Security Council. It was mandated to support transitional governmental structures, implem ...

(Somalia) To date, Kenyan

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

peacekeepers have served in 16 different countries in Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans, and Asia. The period of deployment of the personnel has varied from mission to mission, in accordance with the complexities of each conflict situation. Missions have ranged from one to eight years.

Commanders of the Kenya Army

Lt. General Njiru was promoted and appointed the Kenya Army Commander. He was sworn in on July 27th 2022 at State House Nairobi. He was ADC for the late President Mwai Kibaki then partly ADC with the current President Uhuru Kenyatta whose term comes to an end this

Structure

The Kenya Army is made up of various formations and services. These formations and services are divided between two operational commands, the Western Command (WestCom) headquartered in Lanet and Eastern Command (EastCom) based at Embakasi Garrison. The Eastern Command was established in 1997 and its role is to defend the Eastern region of Kenya against external and internal threats. These areas include the capital itself and the former Central, Eastern, North Eastern and Coast provinces. Western Command is tasked with defending the Western region of the country and includes the former Rift Valley, Western and Nyanza provinces. In recent times there have been plans to set up a Nairobi Metropolitan Command for the capital and the surrounding metropolitan area of

Machakos County Machakos County is one of the 47 counties of Kenya, which came into being because of the devolved system of governance occasioned by the 2010 constitution of Kenya. The country's first administrative headquarters are in Machakos Town, which is ...

Kiambu County Kiambu County is a county in the former Central Province of Kenya. Its capital is Kiambu and its largest town is Thika. Kiambu County is the second most populous after Nairobi County. Kiambu County borders Nairobi and Kajiado Counties to the So ...

and

Kajiado County Kajiado County is a county in the former Rift Valley Province of Kenya. As of 2019, Kajiado county spanned an area of 21,292.7 km2, with a recorded population of 1,117,840. The county borders Nairobi and to its south it borders the Tanzan ...

. This realignment would have Eastern Command relocated to Garissa but it remains unclear whether the mooted plan was implemented.

Kenya Army Formations

* 2 Brigade ** 3rd Battalion, Kenya Rifles. This is Kenya's oldest unit which dates back to the 1880s. They are based in Lanet, Nakuru. Their Colour is red and their motto is 'Red Scarlets' ** 5th Kenya Rifles. Based in Gilgil, their colour is Dark Blue. Their unit motto is 'Fighting Five' **

9 Kenya Rifles The 9th Battalion, Kenya Rifles is a light infantry battalion of the Kenya Army headquartered at Moi Barracks near Eldoret. Background The 9th Battalion was formed on 1 September 1979 when its members were pooled from existing Kenya Rifles Battali ...

- Moi Barracks, Eldoret. Their colour is Orange. Their unit motto is 'Orangers fire and war machines'. Winner of end-year foot and drill competition 2020. **21 Transport Company **22 Field Workshop **23 Ordnance Company * 4 Brigade ** 1st Battalion, Kenya Rifles. Based in Nanyuki, Their motto is 'Green Fire' and their colour is Green. ** 7 Kenya Rifles - Langata Barracks, Nairobi. Their colour is Maroon and their unit motto is 'Maroon Commandos' and 'Man to man I am the best' ** 15th Kenya Rifles. Formed in the early 1990s. It has been based in the coastal region of the country. currently housed at Mariakani Barracks. Their colour is Blue and the unit motto is 'Stay High'. **41 Transport Company **42 Field Workshop **43 Ordnance Company * 6 Brigade - formed by 2010 - relocated from

to Modika Barracks,

. ** 17 Kenya Rifles - Formed in 2011 and in late 2018 stationed at Modika. They are known as the 'Desert Rangers' and their colour is purple. They initially used desert brown as their colour, which was changed to new, purple colours during the 2018

Jamhuri Day Jamhuri Day (Republic Day) is a national holiday in Kenya, celebrated on 12 December each year.19 Kenya Rifles - Nyali Barracks. Also known as the 'Ash Warriors'. Their unit colour is Ash Grey and formally received their Presidential and Regimental Colours during the 2021 Jamhuri Day ceremonies at Uhuru Gardens. ** 21 Kenya Rifles - Mariakani Barracks but they will soon move to Manda Bay in Lamu to join the Kenya Navy in proving security in that area and especially Boni Forest. **61 Transport Company **62 Field Workshop **63 Ordnance Company * 8 Brigade (current Brigade Commander is Brigadier David Chesire.) **23 Mechanised Infantry Battalion (23 MIB) who formally received their Presidential and regimental colours during the 2022 Jamhuri Day celebrations at Nyayo National Stadium. **25 MIB (Mechanised Infantry Battalion) **27 MIB (Mechanised Infantry Battalion) *110 Brigade *112 Brigade * Army Special Operations Brigade (Kenya) - in 2020 under the command of Colonel John Njeru **20 Parachute Battalion **30 Special Forces Battalion **40 Ranger Strike Force Battalion **Special Operations Training School (SOTS) * Kenya Army Artillery Brigade **66 Artillery Battalion **75 Artillery Battalion (Air Defence) **77 Artillery Battalion **88 Artillery Battalion **School of Artillery * Kenya Army Armoured Brigade **76 Armoured Recce Battalion (ARB) **78 Tank Battalion **81 Tank Battalion **86 Armoured Recce Battalion (ARB) **91 Tank Battalion **School Of Armour * Kenya Army Engineers Brigade **10 Engineers Battalion **12 Engineers Battalion **School of Combat Engineering (SOCE) * Kenya Army Corps of Signals (KACS) **AHQ Signal Battalion **School of Signals * 1st Canine-K9 Regiment * Directorate of Military Intelligence (Kenya) **Military Intelligence Corps **Long Range Surveillance Group **School of Military Intelligence * Joint Helicopter Command (Kenya) - replaced the disbanded 50 Air Cavalry Battalion

Kenya Army services

* Kenya Army Ordnance Corps **Defence Forces Ordnance Depot (DFOD) **2nd Ordnance Battalion **School of Ordnance (SOO) * Kenya Army Corps of Transport (KACT) **Transport Battalion **Heavy Lift Battalion **School of Transport (SOT) * Kenya Army Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (KACEME) This Corps mainly deals with maintenance of motor and mechanical equipment that is used in the Kenya Army. It is based at Kahawa Garrison along Thika Road. **Workshop Battalion **School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (SEME) * Military Police Corps (MPC) - based at the Defence Headquarters along Lenana Road Nairobi **1 MP battalion **2 MP battalion **School of Military Police (SOMP) * Kenya Army Medical Corps (KAMC) **Medical Battalion *Kenya Army Corps of Education (KACE) *Defence Forces Constabulary (DFC) *Strategic Communications (STRATCOMM)

Equipment

The acquisition of

T-72 The T-72 is a family of Soviet/Russian main battle tanks that entered production in 1969. The T-72 was a development of the T-64, which was troubled by high costs and its reliance on immature developmental technology. About 25,000 T-72 tanks ha ...

s has caused significant controversy. Thirty-three vehicles ordered from Ukraine were hijacked by

Somali pirates Somali may refer to: Horn of Africa * Somalis, an inhabitant or ethnicity associated with Greater Somali Region ** Proto-Somali, the ancestors of modern Somalis ** Somali culture ** Somali cuisine ** Somali language, a Cushitic language ** Somali, ...

. The Ukrainian Defence Minister Yury Yekhanurov confirmed 33 Russian T-72 tanks and "a substantial quantity of ammunition" were aboard the captured cargo ship, called the ''Faina''". The ship they were being carried in, MV ''Faina'' was released and the tanks unloaded in the port city of Mombasa in February 2009. There have been doubts expressed as to whether the T-72s imported by Kenya are intended for use by the Kenyan Army. Instead, popular opinion is that they were being clandestinely imported for the South Sudanese army, which has an arms embargo against it. The KDF attempted to dispel speculation by publicly showing these tanks (and other hardware) as part of its arsenal on 22 August 2010, during rehearsals for the passing of the new

Constitution of Kenya The Constitution of Kenya is the supreme lawof the Republic of Kenya. There have been three significant versions of the constitution, with the most recent redraft being enabled in 2010. The 2010 edition replaced the 1963 independence constitu ...

. Nevertheless, a cloud of doubt hangs over the intent of the tank acquisition. The

United States diplomatic cables leak The United States diplomatic cables leak, widely known as Cablegate, began on Sunday, 28 November 2010 when WikiLeaks began releasing classified cables that had been sent to the U.S. State Department by 274 of its consulates, embassies, and ...

indicated that an ongoing process of armaments purchases on behalf of the Southern Sudanese government by the Kenyan government was "a badly kept secret." The leaks go on to speculate that these clandestine operations were motivated by the Kenya political leadership's desire to support Southern Sudan, but not in a way that would openly provoke Khartoum or potentially threaten South Sudan's eventual independence. Th
KDF is interested
in the US Army-approved version of the

Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System The multiple integrated laser engagement system, or MILES, is used by the U.S. military and other armed forces around the world for training purposes. It uses lasers and blank cartridges to simulate actual battle. Individual soldiers carry small ...

History

Mau Mau Uprising and independence

Peacekeeping missions

Commanders of the Kenya Army

Structure

Kenya Army Formations

Kenya Army services

Equipment

Small arms

Anti-tank weapons

Armoured fighting vehicles

Armoured engineering vehicles

Utility vehicles

Artillery

Aircraft

Ranks and Insignia

Officers

Enlisted personnel

Notes

Further reading