Kenya and India to Deepen Defence Collaboration After Strategic Talk

The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) is moving to strengthen Kenya's defence ties with India following a strategic meeting held with the indian delegation in Nairobi.

The meeting held at the defence headquarters on Tuesday, January 13, focused on charting a bilateral agenda for a Joint Defence Cooperation Committee meeting that is envisioned to be held later in the year.

Discussions in the meeting centred around collaboration in joint military training, defence industry cooperation, medical training, and border security management.

The Indian delegation, led by the Indian defence attaché to Kenya, Navy Captain Velagada Shirdikant, noted the importance of collective military engagements, and was supported by the Kenyan group. They also agreed on the need to have strategic dialogue put into practice.

Velagada emphasised that the two countries shared common security challenges. He reaffirmed India's commitment to strengthening partnerships that contribute to border security, stability, and peace.

The meeting agreed to maintain future cooperation and engagements. It drafted a joint framework that aimed at advancing defence cooperation.

The  Meeting is seen as an essential step in deepening  KDF and India's defence relations.It also reflects the mutual commitment of both nations to promoting peace, security, and stability.

Kenya and India have long maintained robust partnerships that were formalised under a 2016 memorandum of understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation, after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Kenya.

The partnership was strengthened further in 2017 after then-President Uhuru Kenyatta visited India with discussions focusing mainly on increased defence cooperation and maritime security.

Collaboration between the two nations has deepened over the years following shared struggles and historical ties. In 2013 and 2014,India and Kenya conducted a joint hydrography survey in Kenyan watersafter the indian navy visited the port of Mombasa.

The ties saw the formation of the Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) in 2019, aimed at creating a formal platform for strategic discussions. Also, the two countries released a joint maritime vision statement called "BAHARI" in 2023, which focused on a stable and safe indian ocean region.

Aside from these developments, Kenya and India have continued to hold defence seminars to explore manufacturing and maintenance of military hardware, medical and training support, as well as information sharing among others.

With the planned 2026 JDCC meeting, Kenya and India's defence relations are expected to continue to expand with regular visits and joint trainings, capacity building, and cooperation aimed at addressing shared security and defence challenges.