Editing Kenya Defence Forces (section)

{{Short description|Armed forces of Kenya}}
{{for|the colonial-era formation known as the Kenya Defence Force|Kenya Regiment}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox national military
| name = Kenya Defence Forces
| native_name = {{lang|sw|Majeshi ya Ulinzi ya Kenya}}
| image = [[File:Emblem of the Kenya Defence Forces.svg|200px]]
| caption = Coat of arms of the Kenya Defence Forces
| image2 = [[File:Flag of the Kenya Defence Forces.svg|200px]]
| caption2 = Flag of the Kenya Defence Forces
| website = {{url|https://mod.go.ke/}}
<!-- Leadership -->| commander-in-chief = [[President of Kenya|President]] [[William Ruto]]
| commander-in-chief_title = [[Commander-in-Chief]]
| minister = [[Soipan Tuya]]
| minister_title = [[Minister for Defence (Kenya)|Defence Cabinet Secretary]]
| commander = [[General]] [[Charles Muriu Kahariri]]
{{Infobox 
|child = yes
| label1 = [[Chief of Defence Forces (Kenya)|Vice Chief of Defence Forces]]
| data1 = Lt. Gen. John Mugaravai Omenda
}}
| commander_title = [[Chief of Defence Forces (Kenya)|Chief of Defence Forces]]
<!-- Manpower -->| age = 18
| manpower_age = 15–49
| active = 50,000<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.the-star.co.ke/buy/?redirect=/news/2022-11-29-murmurs-in-kdf-after-salaries-deducted-for-hunger-kitty| title=Murmurs in KDF after salaries deducted for hunger kitty|date= 30 November 2022}}</ref>
| branches = {{Army|Kenya}}<br />{{Air force|Kenya}}<br />{{Navy|Kenya}}
<!-- Financial -->| amount = KSH109,700,000,000 ($7,714,486,000.639 July 27)(FY2018/19)<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.armyrecognition.com/may_2019_global_defense_security_army_news_industry/kenya_broke_new_record_in_defense_spending.html |title=Kenya broke new record in defense spending |website=Army Recognition|date=May 2019 }}</ref>
| percent_GDP = 1.5%
<!-- Industrial -->| domestic_suppliers = [[Kenya Ordnance Factories Corporation]]<br>[[National Security Industries Ruiru]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/kenya-opens-rifle-factory|title=Kenya opens rifle factory|website=janes.com}}</ref>
| foreign_suppliers = {{flag|China}}<br>{{flag|India}}<br>{{flag|Pakistan}}<br>{{flag|Turkey}}<br>{{flag|Uganda}}<br>{{flag|Netherlands}}<br>{{flag|United Kingdom}}<br>{{flag|United States}}
| history = [[Kenya Colony in World War II|Second World War]] (as [[King's African Rifles]]) (1939–45)<br />[[King's African Rifles#After the Second World War|Malayan Emergency]] (1948–60)<br />[[Mau Mau Uprising|Mau Mau Revolt]] (1952–60)<br /> After Independence [[Shifta War]] (1963–67)<br />[[Mount Elgon insurgency]] (2005–08)<br />[[Operation Linda Nchi]] (2011–12)<br />[[Somali Civil War (2009–present)|War in Somalia]] (2012–present)<br />[[Kivu conflict]] (2022–present)
| ranks = [[Military ranks of Kenya]]
}}
The '''Kenya Defence Forces''' ('''KDF''') ({{langx|sw|Majeshi ya Ulinzi ya Kenya}}, stylized as "KENYA ARMED FORCES" capitalized on its [[coat of arms]]) are the [[armed forces]] of the [[Republic of Kenya]]. They are made up of the [[Kenya Army]], [[Kenya Navy]], and [[Kenya Air Force]]. The current KDF was established, and its composition stipulated, in Article 241 of the 2010 [[Constitution of Kenya]]; it is governed by the KDF Act of 2012.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ministry of Defence|title=Kenya Defence Forces Act – No. 25 of 2012|url=http://www.mod.go.ke/pubs/kdfAct.pdf|publisher=National Council for Law Reporting|access-date=6 May 2014|archive-date=3 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003132740/http://www.mod.go.ke/pubs/kdfAct.pdf/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Its main mission is the defence and protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kenya, recruitment to the KDF is done on yearly basis.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-10-01|title=Kenya Defence Forces Recruitment Dates 2020|url=https://kenyadmission.com/kenya-defence-forces-recruitment-dates/|access-date=2021-01-22|website=Kenyadmission|language=en-US}}</ref> The [[President of Kenya]] is the [[commander-in-chief]] of the KDF, and the [[Chief of Defence Forces (Kenya)|Chief of Defence Forces]] is the highest-ranking military officer, and the principal military adviser to the President of Kenya.

The Defence Forces, like many Kenyan government institutions, has been tainted by [[Corruption in Kenya|corruption]]. Because the military have been traditionally cloaked by the blanket of "state security", the corruption has been less in public view, and thus less subject to public scrutiny and notoriety. But in 2010, credible claims of corruption were made with regard to recruitment,<ref name=KDFbent>{{cite web|url=http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000021408&catid=159&a=1 |title=Activists give military 5 days to re-admit recruit :: Kenya – The Standard |website=Standardmedia.co.ke |date=1 November 2010 |access-date=10 July 2017}}</ref> and procurement of Armoured Personnel Carriers.<ref name=KDFtender>{{cite web |url=http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000020947&catid=4&a=1 |title=Sh1.6 billion tender scandal rocks DoD :: Kenya – The Standard |website=Standardmedia.co.ke |date=25 October 2010 |access-date=10 July 2017 |archive-date=10 September 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120910153835/http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000020947&catid=4&a=1 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The decision on the [[Northrop F-5]] "Tiger" aircraft procurement have been publicly questioned.<ref name=KDFfighters3>{{cite web|url=http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000021374&catid=4&a=1 |title=Kenya's 'new' fighter jets cannot take off: Kenya – The Standard |website=Standardmedia.co.ke |date=31 October 2010 |access-date=10 July 2017}}</ref> In 2015, credible allegations were made that the KDF is involved with [[sugar]] [[smuggling]] from southern Somalia into Kenya, to avoid import dues.<ref name=KDFSugar>{{cite web|title=The Kenyan army is accused of running a sugar-smuggling racket with Somali terrorists |url=https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2015/11/23/the-kenyan-army-is-accused-of-running-a-sugar-smuggling-racket-with-somali-terrorists|publisher=[[The Economist]]|date=23 November 2015}} and Petrich [https://www.cvereferenceguide.org/sites/default/files/2021-03/Cows_Charcoal_and_Cocaine_Al_Shabaab_s_Criminal_Activities_in_the_Horn_of_Africa_1_.pdf Cows, Charcoal, and Cocaine: Al-Shabaab's Criminal Activities in the Horn of Africa]</ref>

The KDF is regularly deployed in peacekeeping and warfighting missions, for example the [[counter-insurgency]] fight against [[Al-Shabaab (militant group)|Al-Shabaab]] in Somalia since 2011.