Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i and UK’s Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace on Monday signed an agreement on a refreshed UK-Kenya Security Compact.
The signing of the Compact was concluded after a high-level meeting chaired by Matiang’i and Wallace earlier in the morning under the 3rd UK-Kenya Security Dialogue.
Matiang’i had hosted Wallace at the commencement of his two-day visit to Kenya and the talks will be followed by a focus on the strengthening of UK- Kenya long-lasting defence ties.
"The Governments of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Republic of Kenya, were therefore delighted to meet once again in this Senior Ministerial forum and agree a refreshed Security Compact, providing renewed impetus and strategic direction for addressing these shared challenges together," said Wallace.
The pact is set to improve bilateral ties between UK and Kenya a year after President Uhuru Kenyatta and Premier Boris Johnson launched the UK-Kenya Strategic Partnership in London.
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“Kenya has been at the forefront of the global war against terror and it is partnerships like these that make a difference, and the world a safer place to be in," said Matiang'i.
The CS indicated that the Security Compact will strengthen the capacity of the two countries to better respond to global security challenges.
"Our nations face shared threats, from violent extremism to organised crime. The security agreement we have signed today will allow us to further deepen our relationship and tackle regional defence issues as ever closer partners,” added Wallace.
The crucial Nairobi talks focused on improving coordination and collaboration in dealing with al Shabaab and establishing combined leadership on security hurdles of international significance.