The government has revealed that Ksh7.8 billion will be used to procure new armored vehicles for the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) to counter the threat of bomb attacks in certain regions of the country.
According to KDF spokesperson Zipporah Kioko, the Ministry of Defense has procured 118 new Armed Personnel Carriers (APCs).
These special vehicles are designed to serve as a shield to Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), provide soldiers with mobility in the field, and also allow the security forces easy access in and out of the vehicles.
Kioko noted that the current APC fleet was purchased between 2010 and 2019. This included the Puma M26-15, WMZ 551 Bs 1, Mamba MKS, Bastion and Cs/VP 14.
The multi-billion deal would be financed through the Export Credit Agency Funding which is a programme between Kenya and Turkish Exim bank.
Kioko noted that the Ministry of Defense had already identified a new manufacturer for the procurement process.
She affirmed that the ministry's key focus is to ensure that the vehicles met the User Service Specifications Requirements.
This comes after the bomb attacks in Garissa, Mandera, Wajir and Lamu Counties, where civilians and soldiers have lost their lives.
A recent report revealed that seven KDF soldiers were killed in a bomb attack in southern Somalia. The attack left at least 147 soldiers dead.
Last year, the terror group Al Shabaab attacked the Dusit Hotel in Nairobi and left 22 people dead.
Further attacks on KDF's convoys in the past months have shown the lengths the militia group, Al Shabaab is willing to go.
