In Somalia, Ugandan soldiers have been in the thick of it for years, now. Uganda's government gets a great benefit from this arrangement even aside from the strategy of defending Uganda by keeping neighboring Kenya from being destabilized by a chaotic Somalia:
The lowest paid Ugandan soldiers earn around $120 (£76) per month; if they opt to fight in Somalia they earn more than $1,000. ...
Mr Njoroge claims there is another reason.
"Uganda has never had a peaceful transition of power. Guns and soldiers have always been involved in a change of regime.
"The ruling NRM party does not want thousands of soldiers hanging around in barracks with time on their hands. And there is no work for them outside the army - unemployment is 50% here," he says.
"President Museveni has been in power for almost 26 years and his popularity is waning. Military officers are already getting restless. From the government's point of view, better for them to be fighting in Somalia."
Unstated is that Uganda's government surely gets benefits directly for this mission, too. I'm sure we provide military aid and training for Ugandan forces. And don't forget direct American military help.
Defending Uganda from internal and external threats, improving the military, and defending the government by keeping the military busy abroad are all benefits that have resulted for the Ugandan government from renting Ugandan soldiers for Somalia service.
This aspect of privatized warfare is difficult to describe with certainty because reasons of state also motivate these rentals. But one day it might be overt. With military budgets around the world under pressure, some day somebody will more obviously rent out their units as a way to pay for them until they are needed for reasons of state.
