Africa-Press – Kenya. MPs have approved the deployment of Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to the East African Community Regional Force to the Democratic Republic of Congo (EACRF-DRC).
The National Assembly Defence committee approved the deployment following a request by President William Ruto.
The approval would see Kenya send more than 900 troops to take part in the mission to bring stability to Eastern DRC.
The troops will join their counterparts from Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania which have deployed various battalions to provide combat support to the mission.
“The Kenyan Contingent (KENCON) had a lot of goodwill from residents of Eastern DRC due to the fact that Kenya doesn’t share a border with the DRC and therefore had no direct vested interests in the Great Lakes Conflict Ecosystem,” the committee report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday reads.
Lawmakers also backed the deployment as aligned with the country’s strategic interest.
“It will enhance the country’s ability to not only respond to threats emanating from the conflict but also help to mitigate threats to Kenya’s stability and thereby enhance the security of its citizens,” the report reads.
The committee said Kenya would also be in a position to secure its vital interests including Kenyan businesses citing banks operating in the DRC, numerous Kenyan business people in the DRC, bilateral trade with the DRC, and utilization of the Mombasa port by the DRC among others.
For More News And Analysis About Kenya Follow Africa-Press
