The Secretary for Defence Production, Government of India, Shri Sanjeev Kumar, led an Indian Defence delegation to Kenya Defence Headquarters for a joint engagement with senior leadership from the Ministry of Defence and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF). The visit served as a follow-up to the recently concluded 3rd Kenya–India Defence Seminar and Exhibition held on 19 January 2026 in Nairobi.
During the engagement, the Vice Chief of Defence Forces (VCDF), Lieutenant General John Omenda, expressed appreciation for the longstanding cordial relationship between Kenya and India, which has continued to promote defence cooperation between the two countries. He highlighted key areas of collaboration, including joint military training, information sharing, military medical services, military sports, and cultural exchanges, among others.
Lieutenant General Omenda further reiterated the importance of supporting the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the sharing of shipping information between the Indian Navy and the Kenya Defence Forces (Kenya Navy), which was signed in June 2018. He noted that efforts are required to address the incompatibility between the two systems—where the Indian system is automated while the Kenyan system remains manual—thus necessitating verification and technical alignment to enable effective information sharing.
In his remarks, the Secretary for Defence Production, Shri Kumar, affirmed that the two countries will continue to work closely to support the growth of Kenya’s defence industry, enhance maritime security, and undertake defence research and development. He also underscored India’s commitment to supporting the ongoing expansion and modernisation of KDF equipment and capabilities.
Also present during the engagement were Major General Charanjit Singh; Assistant Chief of the Defence Forces, Operations, Plans, Doctrine and Training, Major General Fredrick Leuria; Director General of Kenya’s Directorate of National Security Industries (DNSI), Major General Faustino Lobaly; Deputy Director General, Indian Ordnance Factory Services, Mr. Sushil Satpute; India’s High Commissioner to Kenya, Dr. Adarsh Swaika; and senior officers from both countries.
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