War is normally harmful to the economy of a country. For example, America’s recent interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan have been extremely expensive. On the other hand, war sometimes has some economically beneficial effects. For example, many countries experienced prosperity in the aftermath of the second world war, partly as a result of productivity gains brought about by the necessities of war.
While it still seems likely that Kenya’s current intervention in Somalia will be a drawn-out and expensive one, with increased risk of insecurity at home, there may also be some benefits to the country. The Kenyan Army’s success so far has significantly improved its image within Africa as a force to be reckoned with. Internationally, Kenya’s bold stand against terrorism has won it some respect.
Burundi and Uganda have already benefited from the peacekeeping forces they have had deployed in Somalia for some years. The Ugandan Army’s image has been rehabilitated after it was tarnished during fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Burundi’s image as a country with perpetual internal conflict has been partly rehabilitated. Rwanda’s image has benefited from having its soldiers deployed in Darfur.