FROM MBAU TO KAINAMA: KENYAN PEACEKEEPERS RESTORE CONFIDENCE ACROSS ISOLATED VILLAGES

In a move to fulfill the United Nations’ civilian protection mandate, Kenya’s 5th Quick Reaction Force (KENQRF 5), operating under the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), has expanded its area of operations into the volatile Eringeti-Mayimoya-Kainama axis. The deployment follows the successful restoration of stability in the Mbau, Oicha, Mantumbi and Mamove areas, marking a significant deepening of the mission’s footprint in North Kivu.

The week-long operation, launched on April 19 from the Mavivi Permanent Operating Base, positioned peacekeepers deeper into the theatre long plagued by armed groups’ activity. The Quick Reaction Force established a series of Mobile Operating Bases (MOBs) along the axis from which troops launched coordinated day and night patrols covering the Kainama and Eringeti corridors, actively deterring threats and reassuring local populations.

Beyond security patrolling, the deployment placed heavy emphasis on humanitarian civic assistance—a critical pillar of MONUSCO’s protection strategy. Recognizing that civilian safety encompasses both physical security and basic welfare, the QRF medical teams conducted systematic health assessments across the visited communities. They provided on-the-spot treatment for prevalent ailments, including malaria and respiratory infections, conditions that often prove fatal when untreated.

The medical intervention proved especially vital given the region’s stark lack of healthcare infrastructure. Residents of Eringeti and Kainama typically face arduous journeys to Oicha—tens of kilometers away—to receive even basic medical attention. By delivering care directly to the villages, the Kenyan contingent bridged a critical access gap, preventing treatable illnesses from spiraling into emergencies.

The deployment not only denied armed groups freedom of movement along a strategic axis but also built tangible goodwill and trust between the peacekeeping mission and the civilian population. In these far-flung villages, the integrated civil-military action reinforced MONUSCO’s core mandate of civilian protection through security provision and meeting urgent humanitarian needs.