Kenya moves close to Western allies in an effort to protect commercial shipping

French Navy personnel on ‘FS Surcouf’ at the port of Mombasa in a past photo.

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

Kenya is strengthening maritime defence cooperation with the US, the UK and France and other Western powers to secure shipping lanes through the Indian Ocean and Red Sea, as threats from Houthis in Yemeni and Somali pirates raise risks for Mombasa and Lamu ports.

This policy shift is as old as 2024, but has been more pronounced this year, especially after the US-Iran war that erupted in February.