Kenya and India have established a partnership aimed at enhancing defence industrial collaboration, capacity building, training and sustainable partnerships.
A four-member delegation led by Shri Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary (Defence Production), Ministry of Defence, Government of India, visited Kenya from 19 to 21 January 2026 to advance bilateral defence industrial cooperation.
In a statement to newsrooms, Shri Sanjeev Kumar represented India’s defence manufacturing and export ecosystem at the 3rd India–Kenya Defence Exhibition and Seminar, held on 19 January 2026 in Nairobi.
The event was jointly organised by the High Commission of India in Kenya and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), with support from the Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence, Government of India. The previous editions were held in 2022 and 2024.
The Exhibition and Seminar were jointly inaugurated by the Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Defence, Soipan Tuya, along with Shri Sanjeev Kumar and the High Commissioner of India to Kenya.
The event saw participation from 21 Indian defence companies, representing both public and private sectors, showcasing defence platforms, systems, and advanced manufacturing capabilities.
On the margins of the event, Secretary (Defence Production) held extensive engagements with senior Kenyan defence leadership, including Dr Patrick Mariru, Principal Secretary (Defence), and Lt Gen John Omenda, Vice Chief of Defence Forces, along with other senior officers.
Discussions focused on strengthening India–Kenya defence cooperation, with emphasis on defence industrial collaboration, capacity building, training, sustainable partnerships, information sharing, and long-term cooperation in defence exports and maintenance support.
Secretary (Defence Production) paid homage at the Joint India–Africa Commemorative Pillar at Mile 27, a memorial built by the Government of India and jointly unveiled on 23 June 2025 by the Cabinet Secretary for Defence, Kenya.
The memorial is dedicated to the unknown Indian and Kenyan soldiers who participated in the First World War, hence the memorial stands as a symbol of shared sacrifice and enduring partnership.
The delegation also visited Kenya Shipyard Limited (KSL), Mtongwe, where discussions highlighted the practical potential of cooperation under the MoU between Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) and KSL, signed in August 2023, particularly in shipbuilding, repair, and sustainability.
India and Kenya share long-standing friendly relations, with defence cooperation forming a key pillar of the bilateral partnership.
The visit of the India Secretary (Defence Production) further reinforced existing ties as well as India– Kenya defence engagements and advanced prospects for deeper defence industrial collaboration, in line with India’s expanding defence partnership with African nations.
By Joseph Ng’ang’a
