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Kenya and the UK yesterday signed security deals worth more than Sh1.7 billion to among others hold joint trainings.

Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki met UK Security Minister Tom Tugendhat for the bilateral talks and signed the Kenya-UK Security Compact 2023.

The US minister is on two-day visit to Kenya to sign the new Security Compact on counter terrorism worth Sh1.7 billion a year, community security, law enforcement, criminal justice and illicit finance, and cyber security. He also signed agreements on aviation and maritime security, and UK training of Ministry of Interior law enforcement agencies.

The deal covers the full spectrum of UK-Kenya security cooperation. It also includes commitments on counter-terrorism, defence, international cooperation, community security, law enforcement and criminal justice, cyber security and bilateral, multilateral and regional coordination. Kindiki said the move was part of ongoing cooperation between Kenya and UK.

“We will be training our personnel on how to combat new emerging threats in the world,” he said.

Tugendhat said Britain valued Kenya adding that seeing Kenyan troops march alongside other Commonwealth Forces at King Charles III Coronation was a reminder of the two country’s shared history.

“By working with Kenya, our key security partner in East Africa, we are helping to keep both our peoples sale and strengthen global security,” he said.

He added that together, they are countering al-Shabaab and tackling the growing threat from regional Dash affiliates, fighting serious organised crime, and tackling the flow of dirty money.

“Our security partnership is growing ever stronger,” he said. As part of the visit and high-level meeting, the two refreshed UK/Kenya Security Compact, first agreed in August 2018, and refreshed May 2023.

Criminal justice system

 The Sh1.7 billion deal encompasses cooperation on aviation to maritime security, criminal justice to counter violent extremism, crisis response to protective security.

There will also be formalised a Training Cooperation Agreement between the UK Ministry of Defence training and Kenya Ministry of Interior and national Government Law Enforcement Agencies.

“This will enable us to support training teams from the National Police Service General Support Unit, which in turn will assist delivery of security to the Kenya’s North East,” the minister said.

They also agreed on a partnership between the joint Maritime Security Centre in Portsmouth and the Mombasa Joint Operations Centre.

 Present were police chiefs led by Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome, director of criminal investigations Mohamed Amin and head of Financial Reporting Centre Saitoti Maika.

Long-term strategy

 The UK Minister also said Kenya and the region’s long-term stability matters to the UK and that they were bringing British development, defence, security and diplomacy expertise to the long-term partnerships with African and Kenyan institutions at all levels, in support of our shared goal of a secure, healthy and peaceful continent.

Tugendhat further said they have a long history of military cooperation, working together on land, sea and air to find shared solutions to the shared challenges, including countering the threat from groups like al-Shabaab. A new Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) was recently ratified by Kenya’s parliament, and we are now in the process of finalising procedures to bring the new DCA into force.

“The Security Compact forms part of our wider UK-Kenya Strategic Partnership, reaffirmed by Prime Minister Sunak and President William Ruto last year,” he said. The minister, accompanied by CS Kindiki also visited the Kenya Prisons Service and the DCI headquarters.