The Kenya Defence Force (KDF) soldiers will continue staying in the war-torn Somalia region until next year.
This is after the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution to extend the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) until March 30, 2016 to support the political process in the country.
A communique' posted on AMISOM Daily Media Monitoring on Thursday states that the 15-nations council also re-authorised the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) until May 30, 2016.
The re-authorisation is in line with the UN Security Council's request to the AU for a maximum level of 22,126 uniformed personnel, and as part of an overall exit strategy for AMISOM.
After May 2016, a decrease in AMISOM's force strength will be considered, with AMISOM being authorized to take all the necessary measures in full compliance with its Member States' obligations under international humanitarian law and human rights law, and in full respect of the nation’s sovereignty.
AMISOM is comprised to military forces from, Kenya, Djibouti, Uganda, Sierra Leone and Burundi.
The mission continues to fight Al Shabaab and protect the country's weak transitional government.
This comes even the opposition has made their calls on the government to withdraw the Kenyan soildiers from Somalia.
President Uhuru Kenyatta, however, has resisted the calls and even made budgetary allocations to support the Kenyan soildiers in Somalia.
