Defense Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya with South Korean official. Photo/courtesy.
Kenya is set to broaden its military collaboration with South Korea, focusing on shipbuilding, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and cybersecurity, as part of efforts to foster regional peace and stability.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Seoul Defence Dialogue, Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya highlighted the deepening partnership between the two nations.
Tuya, who is in Seoul for government-to-government engagements with South Korean officials underscored the importance of this cooperation noting that South Korea’s support has been instrumental in strengthening Kenya’s defence sector, particularly in enhancing maritime security and peacekeeping operations.
She emphasized the vitality of this course to securing key maritime trade routes and combating shared security threats like piracy and terrorism in the Indian Ocean.
“This partnership is crucial as we work together to secure vital maritime trade routes and address shared security threats, such as piracy and terrorism in the Indian Ocean,” she said.
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This comes on the back of a similar arrangement following President William Ruto’s state visit to the USA in May.
Under the agreement, Kenya will receive 16 US-manufactured helicopters to bolster its ability to provide regional peace with the consignment scheduled to arrive in the country between late 2024 and summer 2025.
Likewise, the USA committed to fastrack the expansion of the Manda Bay Airfield in coastal Kenya. The expansion will include the construction of a 10,000-foot runway, providing the necessary infrastructure to increase operations against the terrorist group Al-Shabaab.
