- For many Kenyans, the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officers are most visible during national ceremonies, disasters & emergencies, as well as moments of serious public unrest.
- Beyond the public spotlight, the Kenyan military remains engaged in a wide network of operations, ranging from Kenya’s borders to regional conflict zones and multinational security missions abroad.
- By 2026, KDF’s responsibilities have evolved far beyond conventional warfare.
- Kenyan troops continue to play key roles in counterterror operations, peacekeeping deployments, border surveillance, maritime security, military engineering, and strategic joint exercises with allied nations.
- From the long-running fight against Al-Shabaab in Somalia to stabilisation efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the force has become one of East Africa’s most active and strategically deployed militaries.
- At home, KDF also remains an important reserve pillar during highly volatile security situations, emergencies, infrastructure support projects, and protection of critical national assets when called upon by the state.
- This article provides a full list of active KDF operations in 2026, examining where Kenyan forces are serving, what missions they are undertaking, and what these deployments reveal about Kenya’s growing security influence in the region.
Full List of Active KDF Operations in 2026
1. African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS)
Location: Southern Somalia / Jubaland sector
Mission Type: Targeted counterterrorism and stabilization mission
ATMIS remains Kenya’s most important foreign deployment, focused on containing Al-Shabaab, protecting the approaches to the border, and supporting the African Union transition mission in Somalia.
In a previous analysis, we examined Kenya’s longstanding security interests in Jubaland, where Kenyan forces have historically held responsibility for Sector II, including the strategic city of Kismayo.
ATMIS began as Operation Linda Nchi when Kenyan forces entered Somalia on the 14th October 2011 with orders to degrade the Al Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabab Islamist group.
The terrorist group was posing a security challenge in Kenya, threatening Kenya’s tourism sector and broader national interests.
To bolster the security effort by KDF in the first few months in Somalia, the UN and AU invited Kenya to incorporate KDF into the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in November, 2011.
Kenyan troops were later formally integrated into AMISOM on February 22, 2012, via the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2036 (2012).
Under AMISOM, KDF conducted a historic, complex, amphibious operation codenamed “Operation Sledge Hammer” that led to the capture of Kismayo City on 28th September, 2012.
AMISOM later transitioned into ATMIS in 2022, designed as a transitional mission with a time-bound mandate to drawdown troops and transfer security responsibilities to Somali forces.
2. Eastern DRC Peacekeeping Deployment (MONUSCO Regional Stabilisation Mission)
Location: Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
Mission Type: Peacekeeping / Civilian Protection / Rapid Response
Kenyan troops remain involved in security operations in eastern DRC through multinational peace support structures, where armed groups, territorial disputes, and humanitarian crises continue to destabilise the region.
KDF personnel have served in specialist roles such as rapid reaction deployments, communications support, patrol operations, and civilian protection duties within some of the most volatile areas of North Kivu and Ituri.
The mission gained renewed relevance following the resurgence of the M23 rebellion and continued attacks by other armed formations, forcing international actors to maintain a security presence despite earlier withdrawal plans.
We previously examined this theatre in depth in our feature “Inside MONUSCO: Armed Formations, Command Structures and Frontlines of the Congo Conflict,” which breaks down the mission’s military formations, command hierarchy, and shifting frontlines in one of Africa’s most complex conflicts.
3. Exercise Justified Accord 2026 (Multinational Training Operation)
Location: Kenya
Mission Type: Multinational Military Exercise
Exercise Justified Accord 2026 is one of the most significant multinational training operations involving the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), conducted in partnership with the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) and several allied nations.
The 2-week operation is hosted across key training sites in Kenya, including Karen and Embakasi, with Isiolo hosting field exercises.
Partner forces simulate real-world peace support operations, crisis response, and counterterrorism environments.
Justified Accord continues to position Kenya as a central hub for regional military cooperation and joint training initiatives, reinforcing its role in East Africa’s evolving security architecture.
4. Operation Amani Boni (OAB) – Cross-border Security
Location: Kenya and Somalia
Mission Type: Cross-border security
Operation Amani Boni is an ambitious multi-agency security operation mounted by the Kenya Defense Forces in coordination with elements of the National Police Service, including the Special Operations Group (SOG).
Since its launch in September 2015, the operation has registered immense success in flushing out al-Shabaab militants hiding in the Boni Forest in Lamu County and surrounding areas.
OAB relies on highly skilled shooters, sophisticated intelligence gathering, and a highly cooperative public.
Led by Brigadier General Meshack Kishoyian, the operation aims to stabilize and catalyze development across the entire border corridor, with interventions extending as far as Kenyan forces based in Ras Kamboni, Badhaadhere District, Lower Juba, Somalia.
5. Operation Maliza Uhalifu (OMU) – Regional Stabilization
Location: North Rift, Kenya
Mission Type: Regional Stabilization
Northern Kenya has been plagued by perennial insecurity since independence and has proved a serious headache for previous governments.
From the secessionist Shifta war in Kenya’s north eastern region in the 1960s to the Sabaot Land Defence Force (SLDF) guerrilla insurgency in North Rift in 2005-6, Kenya’s government continues to tackle criminal elements in these regions.
The present security challenges in the North Rift region are posed by marauding bandits mostly from the Pokot pastoralist communities.
Persistent bloody clashes between Pokot, Ilchamus, and Turkana over cattle rustling have made the entire region deadly and unable to sustain meaningful economic activity.
In a decisive maneuver, the government, through former Interior Minister Prof. Kithure Kindiki, declared parts of Turkana, West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, Laikipia, and Samburu as disturbed and dangerous.
KDF soldiers from different bases in Kenya were given deployment orders in a new operation dubbed “Operation Maliza Uhalifu” in February 2023.
In a typical show of might, Kenyan military convoys with towed artillery snaked their way to Northern Kenya to flush out bandits hidden deep inside the gorges of West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, and Baringo Counties.
KDF troops deployed in the region have concentrated on targeted disarmament of local communities, setting up humanitarian medical camps, and construction of infrastructure.
6. Operation Southern Readiness
Location: Southern Kenya (Coastal and border security zones)
Mission Type: Maritime Security Cooperation
Operation Southern Readiness is a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) security posture focused on strengthening operational preparedness across the country’s southern corridor, particularly in areas adjacent to the Somalia border and the coastal security belt.
The operation was hosted by the Kenya Navy and launched at Bandari Maritime Academy, near the Kenya Navy Base (KNB) Mtongwe in Mombasa County.
It is a collaboration between Kenya and other members of the Combined Task Force 154 (CTF 154), which includes:
- Australia
- Bahrain
- Canada
- Egypt
- France
- India
- Italy
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Kuwait
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Saudi Arabia
- Seychelles
- The United Kingdom
- The United States
The operation reflects Kenya’s evolving security doctrine, which prioritises proactive readiness and layered defence across high-risk regions rather than reactive response alone.
This article is subject to continuous updates.
