![Soldiers of the Kenyan Contingent serving with the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) stand in front of the black flag of the Al Qaeda-affiliated extremist group Al Shabaab painted on the wall of Kismayo Airport. On 02 October 2012, Kenyan AMISOM troops supporting forces of the Somali National Army and the pro-government Ras Kimboni Brigade moved into and through Kismayo, the hitherto last major urban stronghold of the Al-Qaeda-affiliated extremist group Al Shabaab, on their way to the city's airport without a shot being fired following a month long operation to liberate towns and villages across southern Somalia from Afmadow and Kismayo itself. AU-UN IST PHOTO / STUART PRICE.](http://amisom-au.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Kenyan-Contingent-580x389.jpg)
Soldiers of the Kenyan Contingent serving with the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) stand in front of the black flag of the Al Qaeda-affiliated extremist group Al Shabaab painted on the wall of Kismayo Airport. On 02 October 2012, Kenyan AMISOM troops supporting forces of the Somali National Army and the pro-government Ras Kimboni Brigade moved into and through Kismayo, the hitherto last major urban stronghold of the Al-Qaeda-affiliated extremist group Al Shabaab, on their way to the city’s airport without a shot being fired following a month long operation to liberate towns and villages across southern Somalia from Afmadow and Kismayo itself. 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 kidnappings of tourists along the border. One month, later Kenyan government agreed to re-hat 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.
AMSOM’s Sector 2, which has its headquarters in the port city of Kismayo, is comprised of Lower and Middle Juba. Currently there are 3664 troops from Kenya after they pulled out a battalion when 850 Sierra Leonean troops arrived.