Kevin85ify
JF-Expert Member
- Apr 6, 2019
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The year is 1976, Kenya was an economically stable and growing country but militarily it was an underdog surrounded by neighbors armed to the teeth by the soviet union.The then Uganda leader Idi Amin Dada infuriated Kenyans when he claimed that a large part of Kenya belonged to Uganda.
A couple of days after his remarks, a mass demonstration was organised at Nairobi’s Uhuru Park, where Mzee Jomo Kenyatta declared that Kenya would deal ruthlessly with neighbours who publicly expressed “their sinister intentions”.Jomo Kenyatta knew in his heart that Kenya could not take on Uganda at that time, this is where his intelligence helped to secure Kenyan borders.
It was believed that he was being incited by President Siad Barre of Somalia, who was laying a similar claim to the northeastern part of Kenya.
Jomo Kenyatta summoned the American ambassador Mr. Marshall and raised Kenya's concerns with regards to her neighbors. Two months after the meeting the state secretary Mr. Henry Kissinger arrived in Kenya and Jomo Kenyatta brokered a deal worth $45 million in military aid .
While appreciating the $45 million aid from America, Kenyatta requested an additional $20 million to enable Kenya acquire the F-5s, which he wanted to be delivered as soon as possible, pointing out: “Our neighbours are armed to the teeth.”
Nevertheless, on June 16, 1976, US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld arrived in Kenya and made public the sale of 12 supersonic F-5s to the country in a deal that was at the time the largest ever between Washington and an emerging African nation. However, the jet fighters were only to be available in two years’ time.
Tensions between Kenya and Uganda were exacerbated by two events, the entebbe raid and the economic blockade on Ugandan goods.
In remarks broadcast by Radio Uganda, Amin complained that during the Entebbe raid, Israel had stationed a stand-by commando force in Kenya which “would have continued to fight were the first waves defeated”.
He also accused Kenya of blockading 200 oil tankers and other vehicles carrying goods to Uganda and appealed to the Organisation of African Unity to intervene before he resorted to “desperate action”.
Kenyatta went again to America and he managed to secure another deal. America agreed to send a P-3 aircraft to Nairobi, a frigate to Mombasa and a contingent of navy seal commandos and rangers.
The suggestion of the P-3 coming to Nairobi particularly appealed to Kenyatta, who exclaimed: “Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful!”
With Amin showing no sign of relenting, in September, when Kissinger returned to Kenya, Kenyatta requested if US military aircraft could stage a fly-past during Jamhuri day.
He repeated the same in a letter to President Gerald Ford, cancelling his proposed visit to America. President Ford responded: “We are pursuing arrangements to fulfill your request for a fly-past on Jamhuri Day, December 12. We will be communicating further with you on this matter.”
On the Jamhuri Day, December 12, 1976, US Marines jets staged a spectacular fly-past in a tribute to Kenya on its republican anniversary and as a warning to Amin.
Kenyatta raised his fly whisk as the jets from the aircraft carrier USS Guam, which had docked in Mombasa, flew in formations and performed solo passes over Nairobi.
Amin fearing an imminent attack by America toned down his rhetoric. He wrote to the OAU, saying Uganda had never “dreamed of any subversive activities against the brotherly and sisterly people of Kenya”.
Since them America, Israel and Britain have combined forces to ensure Kenya defense forces has grown to the new equipped military power it is today.
A couple of days after his remarks, a mass demonstration was organised at Nairobi’s Uhuru Park, where Mzee Jomo Kenyatta declared that Kenya would deal ruthlessly with neighbours who publicly expressed “their sinister intentions”.Jomo Kenyatta knew in his heart that Kenya could not take on Uganda at that time, this is where his intelligence helped to secure Kenyan borders.
It was believed that he was being incited by President Siad Barre of Somalia, who was laying a similar claim to the northeastern part of Kenya.
Jomo Kenyatta summoned the American ambassador Mr. Marshall and raised Kenya's concerns with regards to her neighbors. Two months after the meeting the state secretary Mr. Henry Kissinger arrived in Kenya and Jomo Kenyatta brokered a deal worth $45 million in military aid .
While appreciating the $45 million aid from America, Kenyatta requested an additional $20 million to enable Kenya acquire the F-5s, which he wanted to be delivered as soon as possible, pointing out: “Our neighbours are armed to the teeth.”
Nevertheless, on June 16, 1976, US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld arrived in Kenya and made public the sale of 12 supersonic F-5s to the country in a deal that was at the time the largest ever between Washington and an emerging African nation. However, the jet fighters were only to be available in two years’ time.
Tensions between Kenya and Uganda were exacerbated by two events, the entebbe raid and the economic blockade on Ugandan goods.
In remarks broadcast by Radio Uganda, Amin complained that during the Entebbe raid, Israel had stationed a stand-by commando force in Kenya which “would have continued to fight were the first waves defeated”.
He also accused Kenya of blockading 200 oil tankers and other vehicles carrying goods to Uganda and appealed to the Organisation of African Unity to intervene before he resorted to “desperate action”.
Kenyatta went again to America and he managed to secure another deal. America agreed to send a P-3 aircraft to Nairobi, a frigate to Mombasa and a contingent of navy seal commandos and rangers.
The suggestion of the P-3 coming to Nairobi particularly appealed to Kenyatta, who exclaimed: “Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful!”
With Amin showing no sign of relenting, in September, when Kissinger returned to Kenya, Kenyatta requested if US military aircraft could stage a fly-past during Jamhuri day.
He repeated the same in a letter to President Gerald Ford, cancelling his proposed visit to America. President Ford responded: “We are pursuing arrangements to fulfill your request for a fly-past on Jamhuri Day, December 12. We will be communicating further with you on this matter.”
On the Jamhuri Day, December 12, 1976, US Marines jets staged a spectacular fly-past in a tribute to Kenya on its republican anniversary and as a warning to Amin.
Kenyatta raised his fly whisk as the jets from the aircraft carrier USS Guam, which had docked in Mombasa, flew in formations and performed solo passes over Nairobi.
Amin fearing an imminent attack by America toned down his rhetoric. He wrote to the OAU, saying Uganda had never “dreamed of any subversive activities against the brotherly and sisterly people of Kenya”.
Since them America, Israel and Britain have combined forces to ensure Kenya defense forces has grown to the new equipped military power it is today.