Defence minister Yusuf Haji told The EastAfrican that the country's military incursion into Somalia had created conditions that would allow the international community to help bring lasting peace, but Kenya is unwilling to continue underwriting the financial burden of an open-ended war. (READ: Haji says no to Kismayu attack without back-up)
It is now emerging that Kenya considers its intervention in Somalia in October last year as a major service to the global war against terror and expects logistical and financial support to complete the job of smashing the Al-Shabaab
... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...
and Al-Qaeda networks.
The admission by Mr Haji seemed to reverse Kenya's stated military objective, which was predicated on capturing Kismayu in order to undermine the financial base of Al- Shabaab.
Mr Haji said the notion that Kenya's ultimate goal was Kismayu was imaginary.
He said the Kenya Defence Forces had indicated that their main objective was to create a buffer zone by pushing Al-Shabaab far enough from the country's borders to assure its national security.
"The Kismayu question is for the international community to decide. Kenya was not going to fix the entire Somalia problem since it has been a failed state for 20 years.
"We did not have the intention of going into Somalia if we were not provoked. We feel we have attained our intention of pushing Al-Shabaab away from our borders," said Mr Haji.