Military branches include the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the paramilitary General Service Unit which is used internally during political and civil disturbances. The commander in chief of Kenya's military defense is the nation's president. Just under the president, the minister of defense presides over the Defense Council. The nation's Defense Headquarters is headed by the chief of the defense staff, who also serves as commander of the army. The National Assembly is the deliberative body charged with the right to declare war.
Military service is fulfilled by voluntary enlistment, generally for a period of nine years.
The armed forces employ about 13,350 men and women. The British military retains a presence in Kenya, with 300 British military officers on duty supporting the Kenyan armed forces. Combined training exercises are held annually. An agreement with the US in the early 1980s gave US forces access to Kenyan air force and naval facilities in exchange for increased military and economic aid. In 1982, the air force attempted a coup against President Moi.