Kenyan military accused of corruption and side business deals with al-Shabaab

A report published by Kenyan advocacy group Journalists for Justice alleges that corrupt elements in the Kenyan military forces deployed to Somalia as part of the AMISOM mission to defeat al-Shabaab are actually in business with the jihadists by enabling them to tax sugar and charcoal imports leaving the port of Kismayo in the southern part of the country, which is controlled by the Kenyan Defense Forces (KDF), along with making direct sales to the terrorist group and turning a blind eye to smuggling and piracy in exchange for a cut of the proceeds.

The scheme is described as follows:

“Sugar is offloaded in Kismayo along with other goods being smuggled into Kenya including vehicles, pasta, cooking oil, shoes, rice and some petroleum products. According to the workers at the port, on incoming sugar, the KDF levies a Sh 200 ($2) charge per sack… Once a truck leaves Kismayo, it is taxed by al-Shabaab five km outside the city and given a stamped receipt which is good for transit through al-Shabaab territory. Seven different businessmen involved in the trade interviewed for the report confirmed that the amount paid to al-Shabaab is Sh 102,500 ($1,025) per truck.”

After transiting through al-Shabaab territory and crossing the border, the sugar and other smuggled goods arrive at Somalian refugee camps in Kenya, where it is sold at a premium.  Even though the Kenyan government placed sanctions on prominent sugar traders, the businessmen bribe elements within the military to secure passage of their product.

The United Nations also placed sanctions on charcoal exports from Somalia in 2013, however a UN report reveals that Kenyan Navy commanders, who are in charge of the Kismayo port, also skirt around them by allowing al-Shabaab to collect taxes on charcoal as it is smuggled out and taking a share of the profits.  Both reports allege that the corruption transcends low-level soldiers and border guards, reaching up to the highest levels of command in the KDF.

By holding the port, al-Shabaab was able to generate millions of dollars which it then applied to procuring weapons, paying foreign fighters, and funding terrorist operations.  The fact that smuggling is rampant in Kismayo, which the KDF took from al-Shabaab in 2012 and is now under the command of Brigadier General Walter Koipaton Raira, undermines the gains made by the AMISOM in denying a major funding source for al-Shabaab.  The KDF is denying the accuracy of the JfJ report, calling it “absolute garbage” and reaffirming their commitment to defeating the jihadists in Somalia.

What is certain is that the pace of al-Shabaab operations has picked up in recent months, most likely helped by its smuggling proceeds, with attacks on AMISOM bases and holding much of the countryside in southern Somalia.  With the amount of money generated by the smuggling, which the report estimates to be between $ 200 and $ 400 million per year, the $ 25 million bounty offered by the State Department for the location of six al-Shabaab leaders may not be enough.