Six military helicopters are expected to land in Kenya by December this year from the United States of America.
Kenya had signed a deal with the US, where the US was to supply 12 choppers and other arms to help boost military operations.
The deal got approval from the United States Congress, and the choppers were expected to be delivered to Kenya between April and August. However, the manufacturer never gave reasons for the delay but promised the choppers will be ready by December this year.
The new choppers known as the 530 MD will replace the old 500 MD used by the Kenya air force and will help improve the coordination between personnel on the ground and those flying in the air.
In the deal, the US was to supply Kenya with arms worth 25 billion shillings, proving that Kenya is investing highly on Military facilities as compared to other countries in East Africa.
According to a military researcher Dr. Nan Tian, Kenya’s army expenditure is more than that of Ethiopia and Uganda combined and is the sixth country in Africa, with the biggest military budget.
A report in 2019 showed that Kenya’s army budget was 109 billion shillings while close neighbors Uganda and Tanzania had military budgets of 40.8 billion shillings and 67.5 billion shillings respectively.
Kenya’s budget is proof that the country is trying to improve its security and safeguard its borders against external attacks.
The military boost is also an effort to fight the irritating Somalian- based – Militants Al-Shabaab, with Kenya deploying most of its troops to the AMISOM camp.
This year’s budget saw Kenya emerging the highest army spender in East Africa for the fifth consecutive time and sixth in the whole of Africa.
Read Also: Military Spending: US Tops the World with Biggest Budget