On Thursday, 26 September 2024, the Indian Defence Secretary, H.E Shri Giridhar Aramane, accompanied by the Indian High Commissioner to Kenya, Ms. Namgya Khampa, paid a courtesy call on the Principal Secretary for Defence, Dr. Patrick Mariru, at the Defence Headquarters in Nairobi.
The leaders discussed the current bilateral cooperation on defence and security and explored strategic avenues to further strengthen military ties between Kenya and India. They also identified potential areas of future collaboration to enhance the partnership, including professional engagement to improve interoperability and cooperation in the maritime domain, joint training initiatives, the defence industry, border security, and modernization of medical services.
During the talks, Dr. Mariru acknowledged India’s contributions to Kenya’s maritime security and reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to expanding the capacity of both nations’ defence industries.
On his part, Vice Chief of the Defence Forces Lieutenant General John Omenda emphasized the long-standing relationship between Kenya and India, dating back to the Indian Ocean trade routes and the shared struggle for independence. He highlighted the mutual benefits of the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Defence Cooperation, which continues to serve as a framework for collaboration in various defence sectors, while also fostering social and cultural exchanges.
Present during the event from the Indian delegation was Vice Admiral Vineet MaCcarty, Senior Secretary in charge of Commerce, Shri Rishabh Kumar Rewar, Defence Advisor, Captain Shirdikant.
The Kenyan delegation was represented by the Assistant Chief of Defence Forces in charge of Operations, Planning, Doctrine and Training, (OPD&T) Major General Fred Leuria, Chief of Logistics Defence Headquarters, Brigadier Jacob Ondieki, Deputy Director General Defence National Security Industries, Brigadier Sylvester Chirchir and Senior Officers from the three services.
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