Kenya Army paratroopers are the highlight of the day for most Kenyans during the Madaraka Day celebrations. It was not any different in this year’s 58th fete that was characterised by pomp and color. One of the paratroopers unfortunately got into an accident as he landed prompting medics to evacuate him from the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium, Kisumu.
Special Forces
What most Kenyans don’t know is that behind these seemingly innocent looking troops who entertain us, is a deadly force that is trained to take down enemies of the country. The Kenya Army paratroopers are a Special Forces within the KDF who are highly trained in covert operations that involve penetrating the deepest enemy lines.
The only commando unit in the Kenya army paratroopers that has been trained to fight terrorist activities by the US through Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) and its predecessors is the Range D Company of 20 Parachute Battalion. The paratroopers are KDF’s secret weapon and little is known about their operations.
Training
Their training and missions are highly classified and only accessible to high ranking officers in the military. According to intillegencebriefs, only a select few are aware of their missions. The officers with the ranks of the Kenya Army Paratroopers are sworn to secrecy and that’s why very little information of their activities are available in the media. The Special Forces receive training from UK- Special Air Service (SAS), Israel- Sayaret Matkal and the USA-US Rangers-who are considered the best in conventional and non-conventional warfare. The troops train in harsh terrains in what is considered the toughest and harsh training any human can be put through enabling them to “‘think like terrorist and would be terrorists’.
KDF paratroopers Green Eagles showcase their prowess during the Madaraka Day celebrations at the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium. #MadarakaDay2021 pic.twitter.com/PmskG7tA7Z
— Nation Africa (@NationAfrica) June 1, 2021
During the botched 1982 Coup d’e Tat, it was this elite unit that was used as presidential escort for ex-President Daniel arap Moi. The same unit was pivotal in recapturing Kismayo from Alshabab elements in the Operation Linda Nchi.
Intelligent Briefs further state that the paratroopers collect their “own intelligence and share it with other agencies and predict patterns and neutralize any imminent threat posed either domestically or externally on the nation’s security.”
Kenya Army Paratrooper Motto: “to execute airborne operations in order to counter both external and internal threats.”
Their vision: “have an airborne unit deeply rooted in professionalism and certain of its ability to fight, win land battles and execute airborne operations.”
