Intense firing of high explosive motors and machine-gun fire is heard under the cover of darkness setting an atmosphere of war.
The scene is Dhobley Forward Operating Base, the headquarters and nerve centre of Sector II operations, which is manned by KDF serving under AMISOM in Somalia.
It is 7.10pm and soldiers are simulating a camp defence operation for media embed team.
What was supposed to be an exercise for cameramen to film cut-away clips, felt like a real war situation. It was brief but felt real.
The firing is so loud that you can’t imagine being in that situation for more than 10 minutes, yet, gallant soldiers have had long hours of such encounters with militants in the past.
While we walked with a cordon of soldiers who made us feel secure during the day’s activities, no amount of security would protect us from the unforgiving sweltering weather.
The scorching sun left some of us drenched in sweat. The bottle of water I had carried from the camp, quickly depleted and I would soon be asking for more.
Walking with body armours and helmets under the sun made the situation worse. However, removing the armours was not an option as you risk becoming a casualty of war.
“Anything can happen, just put back your helmet,” the driver of one of the armoured personnel carrier that we had boarded warned a colleague.
Time keeping was very important. From meals to departures, my time keeping abilities were put to the test.
"You have five minutes to be seated in the chopper," deputy sector commander colonel Pascal Kitiro told us at the mess, while everyone still had their plates full.
Every soldier is also required to salute and acknowledge their seniors.
We visited Dhobley and Kismayu town as part of the itinerary to assess how the towns have transformed after militants were flashed out.
A newly constructed Hotel Dhobley welcomes customers with its bright white decorated tiles.
Residents sit under make-shift hotels to take lunch as others sit at their business premises waiting for clients.
Residents are at ease. There is a sense of security and peace here.
While children would run at the sight of a gun in Kenya for fear, here, a boy squats next to two Somali soldiers.
Two girls pass next to machine-gun mounted technical vehicle and an APC fearlessly leaving me wondering whether they are used to the sight of security forces or their presence gives them a feeling of security.
Tahliil Mohamad, a businessman who sells clothes and shoes says business has been picking up over the years. He has lived in Dhobley town for 10 years now.
“Business has been growing though there are challenges here and there. We have bad roads so when it rains, they are impassable. We also lack firefighting equipment,” he said via a translator at his shop.
The town has native Kenyans doing casual jobs.
For instance, 25-year-old Richard Muse from Kitui works at a construction site as a casual labourer and does welding as well.
He said three Kenyans were killed by militants last year.
“The KDF helped facilitate transportation of the bodies home. If KDF withdraws from this area, locals may terrorise non-locals,” he says.
Though life looked normal, Sector II commander brigadier Jeff Nyagah had warned us to be careful in Kismayu telling us “don’t go 10 metres away from your colleague.”
KDF has presence in middle and lower Juba region with a total of 16 Forward Operating Bases.
Some of the FOBs include Dhobley, Hoosingo, Kolbiyow, Ras Kamboni, Kuday, Abdale Birole, Gedo, Burahache, Tabda, Afmadhow, Belles Qoqani and Sea Port.
Along one of the main roads in Kismayu town, smiling school children wave at a Kenya Defence Forces Armored Personnel Carrier.
A sense of peace and security is felt in the town that was once a playground for al Shabaab insurgents but is now recovering.
Ten years ago, the militants wreaked havoc in the town forcing residents to flee for their lives and turning them into refugees in their own homeland.
It is here that the al Qaeda linked group made it their capital in central southern Somalia, collecting revenue, staging deadly attacks and controlling business at Kismayu port.
A major offensive at the port called the "Battle of Kismayu" codenamed "Operation Sledge Hammer" in 2012 by the KDF and other Somali forces, would see the city liberated from the militants.
At Kismayu town, the capital of Jubbaland state, it's a beehive of activity.
Nissan matatus decorated with extra side mirrors flood the streets with hanging turnboys calling out to passengers.
An oil tanker beside the road empties its contents into drums for sale. In another end of the street, customers move from shop to shop as hotels serve customers lunch. All this reflecting a town devoid of war.
Lieutenant Colonel Godfree Owuor Commanding Officer of Kenya’s 2nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion under AMISOM says the town has grown because of the troops' presence.
The soldiers, he says have provided a conducive environment for political, social and economic transformation.
“There is even traffic jam and this is because many people from the diaspora have invested back home because they can witness real peace,” he said.
Fresh breeze greets us as we approach Kismayu Port.
Port manager Ahmed Haji says from 2012 to 2019, there has been a significant rise in cargo handling, before the coronavirus pandemic struck and disrupted the curve.
“This is the main source of income in Jubbaland in terms of payments, government revenue...everything is this port, so you can imagine its value,” he says in Somali through a KDF translator.
He says the port currently receives ships from across the world handling foodstuff, building materials and other goods.
From Kismayu, we fly back in a Kenya Airforce chopper as two MD 500 attack choppers are flying next to us for more security.
On the last day, we visit two villages to distribute water to residents with KDF and Somali Security Forces.
It’s a civil-military co-operation exercise.
After the first exercise in Kulmis village, we take about 10 minutes as soldiers assess safety of the road that we just used.
“Militants are always close and could attack anytime. So we must be sure they were not following us. We can’t entirely use the road we came by. We have to divert routes in some areas because they might have set IEDs for us,” the driver of our APC, who sought anonymity, tells me.
Other than intense training and love for the country, I've learned that being in the frontline requires a strong will to withstand the challenges.
-Edited by SKanyara
