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More Kenyan troops could soon be deployed for peacekeeping mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

This follows the resolution of an earlier dispute between Kenya and DRC over the presence of the troops in eastern DRC under the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF). Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldiers are among the troops in the region.

Last week defence ministers of troop contributing countries endorsed continued operations in DRC, though the final decision will still rest with the host country, which has to sign the Status of Force extension to grant the troops permission to stay.

EACRF was first deployed in November and had their mandate extended in March for six months.

But the Force had been criticised by the DRC for not targeting armed groups thought to be fueling instability in eastern parts of the country.

EACRF is deployed to act as a buffer force to prevent confrontations between armed groups and encourage political dialogue.

It was supposed to leave DRC in September this year unless Kinshasa signed an extension of the Status of Force Agreement, a deal between the East African Community and the government of the DRC granting mandate for the forces.

Military wives

Defence ministers drawn from the East Africa Community last week unanimously supported the call for the forces to remain focused on its mandate to support the DRC in restoring peace.

On Sunday in Nairobi, representatives from the Compensation and Welfare Department at the Defence headquarters in conjunction with the Military Wives Association of Kenya (MWAK) conducted a counselling programme to KDF troops who are set to be deployed to the EACRF.

The MWAK chairperson Eileen Ogolla, who presided over the event at the School of Infantry in Isiolo, urged the troops to focus on spirituality, family support and mental health issues in order to improve family cohesion and stability.

“We are here today to underscore to you the importance of maintaining connection with your families and setting personal goals since the key in maintaining any family stability is intentional communication and financial management,” she said.

The association has been extensively working with Compensation and Welfare office in ensuring effective wellness of troops and their families.

It is routine for KDF troops to undergo mentorship training prior to, during and after deployment to operation areas, which is vital in maintenance of work-family balance.

Last week, an Extraordinary Security Meeting held in Nairobi was to consider the progress of the Regional Force in DRC to restore security.