The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) has raised the alarm over shrinking financial support for international peacekeeping missions, warning that cutbacks in funding threaten to reverse hard-gained achievements in regional and international stability.
Speaking at the 2025 United Nations Troop Contributing Countries (UNTCC) Army Chiefs Conclave in New Delhi, Kenya Army Deputy Commander Major General Mohamed Hassan explained that countries like Kenya which have been traditional contributors to global peace efforts are struggling to continue operations with diminishing budgets.
Kenya demonstrates that the future of peacekeeping is not so much an issue of more boots on the ground,” Maj Gen Hassan stated. “It is an issue of reimaging mandates, enhancing partnerships, securing lasting political settlements, and ensuring sufficient financing.”
He concluded that Kenya remained more dedicated than ever before to peace and stability in Africa and globally but called for reforms to allow peacekeeping missions to be more attuned to modern threats.
Maj Gen Hassan also observed that financial shortfalls have already begun affecting the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission (AUSSOM), reducing operational efficiency and undermining progress in stabilising conflict-torn regions.
Kenya has been at the forefront of peacekeeping in the Horn of Africa since 2011 when the country deployed some 3,000 soldiers to Somalia under Operation Linda Nchi, which was approved by Parliament during the presidency of Mwai Kibaki.
The operation subsequently transformed into AMISOM and ATMIS (African Union Transition Mission in Somalia) in April 2022 in a bid to progressively phase out and transfer security functions to Somali forces.
The three-day conclave in New Delhi brought together leading military officials and defence experts from across the world to brainstorm ways of strengthening peacekeeping through technology, coordination, and shared responsibility.
On the sidelines of the event, the Kenyan delegation held talks with Indian Army officials to explore ways of enhancing military cooperation.
Kenya’s attendance at the high-level meeting confirms its ongoing leadership role in international peacekeeping and its demand for a more sustainable, better-financed method of securing peace in a growing unpredictable world.
