Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has left the country for Uganda to attend the Second Extraordinary Summit of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).
This comes as regional leaders deliberate on efforts to strengthen security and stabilisation efforts in the Horn of Africa.
Kindiki departed Kenya on Friday morning, where he is expected to represent the country at the high-level meeting bringing together leaders and senior officials from countries contributing troops to the Somalia peace-support mission.
Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya was present as Kindiki left the country.
The Deputy President was also seen off by security personnel before his departure.
The summit, which runs from July 29 to 31, brings together heads of state and government from Burundi, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda, alongside senior representatives from the African Union (AU), United Nations and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
The meeting comes as regional countries continue to coordinate their response to the security situation in Somalia, particularly the threat posed by Al-Shabaab and the need to strengthen the capacity of Somali security forces.
Kenya is among the countries contributing troops to AUSSOM, which replaced the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) at the beginning of 2025.
AUSSOM became operational on January 1, 2025, with a mandate focused on supporting Somalia in degrading Al-Shabaab, protecting civilians and creating conditions for the gradual transfer of security responsibilities to Somali security forces.
The mission is expected to support the Somali government as it works towards assuming full responsibility for the country’s security by December 31, 2029.
The summit therefore provides a platform for troop-contributing countries to assess the mission’s progress, discuss security challenges and consider measures required to sustain operations in Somalia.
The Deputy President’s departure on Friday means he will join other regional leaders and senior representatives in Uganda for discussions centred on the future of AUSSOM and the wider security situation in Somalia.
Kenya’s participation will also provide an opportunity for the country to engage with other AUSSOM partners on the mission’s implementation and the challenges facing troops operating under its mandate.
The summit concludes on Thursday, July 31, after three days of discussions among the participating countries and international partners.
