Brigadier Anthony Ngere (left) the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) commander of Sector Two and head of the Kenyan contingent serving with AMISOM, discusses with senior officers at their Sector Headquarters in the town of Dhobley, Southern Somalia. AU-UN IST PHOTO / STUART PRICE.
October 16th 2011, Kenya Defence Forces moved into Southern Somalia to pursue insurgents group Al Shabaab after a series of kidnapping of tourist along the border. One month later Kenyan government agreed to rehat its forces under the African Union Mission in Somalia.
The troops from Kenya were later formally integrated into AMISOM on February 22, 2012 after the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 2036.
Sector 2 which has its headquarters in the port city of Kismayo is comprised of Lower and Middle Juba , currently there are 4,652 troops from Kenya and they will soon be joined by 850 troops from Sierra Leone in February-March 2013 after which Kenya will reduce its contribution by one battalion.
The sector is commanded by Brigadier Anthony Ngere and the current Mission’s Deputy Force commander is Major General Simon Karanja.