Kenya’s combat helicopters leave Tabda in Somalia to attack
Al-Shaabab fighters on January 16. Military spending often diverts money
from urgent social needs. File
Business Daily Africa
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Kenya increased spending on military equipment last year with the
importation of eight war ships and six armoured vehicles, data from the
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) shows.
Kenya’s overall military spend rose to Sh52.2 billion ($594
million) in 2010 from Sh47.5 billion ($580 million) in 2009. The figures
are adjusted for inflation and are based on a mean annual exchange rate
of Sh88 to the dollar.
The institute says Kenya imported the armoured
vehicles from South Africa and aircraft from France but does not
directly link the acquisitions to Operation Linda Nchi, the incursion
deep into Somalia meant to flush out Al-Shabaab militia which had
started attacking tourist facilities in Kenya.
The institute says the increase in military
spending consolidated Kenya’s position as the biggest spender on defence
in the region. Military spending often diverts money from urgent social
needs in developing countries like Kenya which have high budget
deficits.
Uganda spent 14 per cent less in 2010 at $276
million from $315 million in 2009. Rwanda spent $77.2 million last year
up from $75.3 million in 2009. Although data for Tanzania and Burundi
was not available, Tanzania has recorded the lowest expenditure on
defence as a percentage of GDP, averaging at 1.1 per cent for the last
five years. Data from Sipri shows that Kenya spent an average of two per
cent of her national income on defence compared to Uganda and Rwanda at
1.8 per cent and 1.4 per cent respectively. “Kenya’s growing spending
is taking up a rising share of its GDP from 1.6 per cent in 2004 to two
per cent in 2010,” commented the Society for International Development
(Sid) in a report. Kenya’s inflation dropped to 15.6 per cent in March
from 16.6 per cent, but the cost of living has remained high compared to
9.9 per cent at the same period last year with energy being the main
driver of inflation.
One armoured vehicle is estimated to cost about
Sh10 million. A single war ship costs more than Sh5 billion. Kenya also
imported 93 aircraft in 2010 from China, Jordan, and Russia.
Kenya faces a growing public debt that hit Sh1.4
trillion last December as it seeks to finance infrastructure and the
war in Somalia together with financing elections.
Kenya’s military spend is expected to surge as its
military incursion into Somalia continues with threats of terrorism
higher than ever before. The country is banking on the Somalia war to
boost security, increase tourist numbers, and open up the north eastern
region to foreign direct investments.
Tanzania’s military spending as a percentage of GDP was the
lowest among the East African member states in the last five years with
Burundi being the highest spender followed by Kenya. The military
expenditure as a ratio of GDP normally indicates the amount of money
being diverted away from basic national needs especially at times when
the country is not at war.
Between 2007 and 2010 Kenya bought 655 grenade launchers, 44,500 assault rifles, and 550 machine guns from Ukraine.
The country also bought 6,964 assault rifles from
the United States. Kenya and Uganda are the largest spenders on weapon
imports in the region.
Sipri is an independent international institute
dedicated to research into conflict, armament, arms control, and
disarmament. It is based in Switzerland.