Matatus are the same everywhere. In Kismayo town they hoot loudly, overlap, pick and drop passengers in the middle of the road causing nasty traffic snarl ups.

It is hard to imagine this sea port city was ravaged by war some years ago. Businesses have gradually picked up and public beaches are filling up again.

Only an encounter with the peacekeeping troops reminds one that beneath the veneer of tranquility, the enemy still lurks.

Kismayo has a new airport named Sayid Mohammed Abdule Hassan Airport after a Somali liberation hero. On the way to the old airport that was abandoned after the Al Shabaab were flushed out, the streets are bustling with commercial activities.

They are even Mpesa shops and in the afternoon, Khat vendors fill up the streets.

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Solar powered lamps light up the road to the seaport. New buildings are coming up and work is nonstop at a nearby quarry that produces building stones.

Majority of the population are herders, but the seaport has opened new opportunities. The city now boasts of a few high-end hotels.

Night life

According to, Lieutenant Colonel Kishoyian, the commanding officer of 2nd Mechanised Infantry Battalion based in Kismayu, the city fills up at night.

“It’s also the month of Ramadhan and people will be breaking their fasts,” he says.

At the port of Kismayu, heavily loaded pickups and trucks roar in and out. Ahmed Haji Adan Kismayo, the port manager, credits Kenyan troops with restoring order.

“They sacrificed their lives for us,” says Aden.

According to him, the port has seen brisk business since 2012. He fears for the city if the Kenya forces pull out. The Al Shabaab might be defeated he says, but they are not completely vanquished.

But according to  Lieutenant Colonel Kishoyian,Kismayo is calm for now, and the Kenyan forces are ready to suppress any threats from the A Shabaab.

“We are vigilant,” he said.