Ministries face budget cuts to finance war in Somalia By DAVID MUGWE, dmugwe@ke.nationmedia.com (email the author) Posted Wednesday, October 19 2011 at 22:21 “The government felt that there was need for this line of action in view of what happened in the past couple of months.” The PS said that although the war would initially pose a challenge to tourism it, will secure the industry in the long term. The war on al-Shabaab comes three months after the Treasury added nearly Sh7 billion on the Ministry of Defence budget, pushing the military’s total spending to Sh51.3 billion. This does not include the Sh13 billion allocated to the National Security Intelligence Service. It also comes on the back of a Sh236 billion budget deficit that Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta left in his Sh1.2 trillion Budget. Although the full impact of the war on Kenya’s economy is yet to be felt, it is expected to add a new layer of the many shocks the country has faced since January, including exchange rate turbulence and high rate of inflation. The cost of importing goods into East Africa has been going up as shipping companies invest more in security and insurance companies increase their premiums due to increased risk of hijacking in the Indian Ocean. A report by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) that was released this week shows that the number hijackings off the East African coast dropped by 31 per cent since the beginning of the year indicating that efforts to contain the piracy menace was bearing fruit. Somali pirates only managed to hijack 24 vessels off the country’s coastline in the nine months to September compared to 35 in a similar period last year. Hijackings were successful in just 12 per cent of all 199 attempts this year, down from 28 per cent in a similar period in 2010 when 126 were taken over, the IMB said. Kenya Association of Manufacturers chief executive Betty Maina yesterday told the Business Daily that instability in Somalia was one of the main catalysts of piracy in the region and needed to be dealt with. “Restoring stability to Somalia is critical to lowering the cost of imports,” she said. The Treasury has not indicated which areas of the Budget would be targeted for cuts but Eric Aligula, the programme coordinator at the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis said social spending faced the highest risk if the incursion turned into a protracted war. The cost of maintain a soldier in the battlefield, including the cost of moving the troops, supplying them with food and water, communication and medical care is estimated to cost be Sh7,000 a day. The country could end up spending more than Sh210 million per month or a Sh1 billion every six months to keep 1,000 soldiers in the battlefield. continue

Zack-what pity

When did Dr. Weistein become garow online?

People, Stoic is patriot unlike tribal simpletons. I'm sure he knows his country's capabilities more than you qaxooti folks :-)

"The next town is Kismayo,” he said. “The troops are ready for anything. If it takes us to December they are willing to celebrate Christmas there.” N Sharif will join to celebrate Xmas....?

^I will still side with AS over Kenya my friend or any foriegn intervention. I disagree with AS internal Somali politics doesn't mean will side with invaders or make justification for them. p.s. I don't have any spiritual leaders and never had one. You seem to confuse politics with ideology or the cult.

^good idea...looooooooool

^Their intentions are all the same regardless of the difference in the power and prestige.

But we welcome invaders

Below is my exchange with Norf who wholeheartedly opposed Ethiopia but now is fan of the invading Kenyans http://www.somaliaonline.com/community/showthread.php/59522-Kenya-invades-Somalia/page6

Zack-Seriously, how much information do you need? You are more like waiting for instructions. looooool@XX....have you been reading any of posts.

^Not OpEd piece or blogger's rant, an actual Government Policy papers, leaders endorsing such thing and even mass popular support? On side note, on my recent trip to Kenya, I find out Kenyans actually refer NFD as desert Somali land.

XX.....Keep it simple, you said was once theirs and now they are coming to claim. When and where did Kenya since its inception claimed Jubba? Do you have any references, speeches by any leaders, movement dedicated to this cause?

^I think that's how your logic operates, there's no evidence that's the Kenya think unless you could show us otherwise.

^LoooooooooooL...You are joker. XX...So, let me see your logic, one colonial power transferring territory to another entitles the resulting state to all the lands lost by the first colonizer?

loool@Xiin....He could be thinking of American-Mexican war where Mexico seceded its Northern territories.

XX....What lost territory and what history books have you been reading?

^I don't go to a wedding where the groom and the bride are not seated in the same room. In any case, the number of Abu whatever marrying local Somali girl is negligible.

And the naivety of some people to think Kenya is eliminating a threat and helping Somalia. Xiin....Kenya is biting more than it could chew here. Zenawi with his abundant Oromo foot soldiers, Yank bucks and guns, and the necessary legal cover could not implement what his handlers want to do. The man is very shrewd leader and knows what war is. I doubt Kenya which is untested in warfare, ill-equipped and untested leadership will fare any better. The West and donor nations are out of ideas and are just throwing darts hoping one would hit the intended target. And its internal ethnic strife and likely economic downturn should Kenya proceed with this madness, Kenya will definitely come out a loser. Not that our public will fare any better but it's matter of who loses more.

^taas waa iga danbayse.

^You are assuming the convict is Somali.

^I have seen Berbera and Jabouti long time ago. Berbera was desolate place at the time but I don't know how much it changed today. I think you should go with the old man and save yourself the bumpy ride.

^I think you and others in here should apologize to Duke.

^It's an odd assertion that could only mean two things.