Nairobi – Kenya has received approximately $8.7 million in reimbursements for its defense forces serving in Somalia during the fiscal year ending June 2025, according to new Treasury data. The figure marks a dramatic rebound from the previous year’s modest $784,000 but remains a fraction of the amounts Nairobi collected in earlier years when donor funding for African Union operations in Somalia was more consistent.
The fresh disbursements are more than 11 times higher than last year’s reimbursements, reflecting renewed though still limited support for the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), who are deployed under the African Union Support Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).
Kenya has historically been among the largest troop contributors to the regional mission, which has played a critical role in combating Al-Shabaab and supporting Somalia’s fragile security institutions. At its peak, Nairobi received hundreds of millions of dollars annually in cost recoveries for its soldiers, equipment, and logistical support.
However, shifting international priorities and reductions in donor budgets have seen reimbursements fall sharply in recent years, even as Kenyan troops continue to operate in some of Somalia’s most volatile regions, including Lower Jubba and Gedo.
Security analysts note that the latest rebound, while welcome, underscores the growing financial pressures on Kenya, which has long argued that sustaining such operations without predictable donor backing places strain on its own public finances.
The AUSSOM mission is designed to eventually hand over full security responsibilities to Somali forces within a five-year window. How Kenya and other troop-contributing countries navigate the transition will depend heavily on whether international donors can be persuaded to maintain adequate funding for the mission in its critical final phases.
For Kenya, the $8.7 million represents progress compared to the previous year but also a reminder of how far reimbursements have fallen from their former heights.