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Kenyan troops will remain in Somalia at least until AMISOM's mandate ends on October 31st, Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) spokesperson Col. Cyrus Oguna said in a press briefing on Saturday (March 3rd) in Nairobi.

"We expect to be there for as long as that mandate is running," Oguna said, Kenya's Daily Nation reported. "From October 31st onwards, our presence will depend on the assessment of what will be prevailing on the ground at the time by the AU Peace and Security Council." If those groups end the mandate, then KDF forces may remain in Somalia for peacekeeping, he said.

The UN Security Council passed a resolution permitting KDF's incorporation into AMISOM in February, and raised the number of troops from 13,000 to more than 17,700. Senior military and political leaders are expected to meet in Addis Ababa this week to determine the number of troops to be deployed by contributing countries, the paper reported.

At the briefing, Oguna also said that 20 al-Shabaab members were killed in confrontations with KDF forces across Somalia this week, Kenya's The Standard reported.

Oguna said KDF carried out air strikes in Hulugho near the Kenyan border on Wednesday, in which 11 al-Shabaab technical vehicles were destroyed. He also said KDF forces raided an al-Shabaab hideout in the region's central sector, killing five militants and injuring 17 others.

He called for vigilance on the Somali-Kenyan border as militants attempt to leave Somalia. "We are telling al-Shabaab that no matter where they are, we will get them," Oguna said.