It has not been in the public domain, the amount of money Kenyan soldiers serving under the Africa Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) earn every month as they fight to crush the Al Shabaab militia group.
It has now emerged that after the European Union cut its funding to AMISOM by 20 percent in January, the mission receives €20 million (Sh224 Million) every month up to June.
According to a report by the Nation, the money settles stipends to troops at $1,028 (Sh103, 828) a month with no further allowances.
However, a Kenya Defence Forces soldier takes home $828 (Sh83,628) since the government deducts $200 (Sh20,200) as an administration fee. The mission in Somalia requires $300 Million (Sh30.2 Billion) for its entire operations.
Following the insufficient financial support to AMISOM, Kenya has warned that it may leave Somalia.
During a meeting with representatives from the UN Security Council on Friday, President Uhuru Kenyatta said that the reduction of AMISOM funds left a gap that would not be filled by participating countries.
Kenyatta warned that Kenya could pull out its troops from the mission as the country's role was not to fund the gap.
Kenya's threat comes after Uganda, which also has troops serving under AMISOM, announced that it was reviewing its deployment in peacekeeping missions in Somalia.
"For now Uganda, is reviewing UPDF involvement in AMISOM, [but the] decision to withdraw [has] not yet been taken," Army spokesman Lt Col Paddy Ankunda confirmed on his twitter account.
Uganda contributes about 6000 soldiers while Kenya has 3,664 troops in Sector 2 of the Mission in lower and middle Juba.
Other countries with peacekeeping missions in Somalia include Burundi, Ethiopia and Djibouti.
