Kenya Navy commander, Major General Paul Otieno, flagged off Exercise JITEGEMEE XXVII at the Kenya Navy fleet in Mkunguni Jetty, Mombasa County, on February 3, 2026.
According to a statement by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), the Jitegemee exercise is aimed at ensuring that the junior officers undergo proper training, a tradition that has always been upheld.
Two Kenyan naval ships, KNS JASIRI and KNS SHUPAVU, were onboarded during the deployment led by Major General Otieno.
According to KDF, the two ships will sail to Seychelles, where the exercise is scheduled to take place.
The Kenya-led initiative will bring together the Seychelles Coast Guard, Seychelles Air Force, Mauritius National Coast Guard, and Madagascar Coast Guard across the expansive Western Indian Ocean.
The process, KDF stated, will help reinforce both the theory and simulation training that the officer received at the Kenya Naval Training College.
Speaking at the flagging-off ceremony, Major General Otieno said the exercise will also present Kenya with an opportunity to advance naval diplomacy.
“The Kenya Navy remains entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding our waters, defending our maritime interests and contributing to regional maritime security and cooperation,” said Maj General Otieno in his speech.
Responsibilities of the Kenya Navy
The Commander emphasised that the Navy plays an important role in safeguarding the Kenya territorial waters, defending the maritime interests of the nation, and ensuring security in the regional maritime.
The participating crew is going to be part of the Exercise Cutlass Express 2026 during their time in the Seychelles.
Officers on deployment are expected to conduct themselves with high discipline and professionalism, as they represent not only the Kenya Navy but also the Kenya Defence Forces.
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Through the coordination of the Regional Coordination Operation Centre (RCOC) and support from the Regional Maritime Information Fusion Centre (RMIFC), the initiative will unite forces from three countries.
Roles that will be performed during the operation
During the operation themed as ‘one sea’ that is used to show the unified effort to protect shared waters and secure the blue economy, the officers will be required to coordinate air-surface tasks and domain awareness through shared and coordinated efforts.
Through coordinated efforts, the forces will be able to help solve challenges such as drug trafficking, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing, piracy, and unauthorised migration on the shared waters.
This will help solve the problem of organised crime networks that use the water to carry out illegal activities.
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Kenya has continued to show their leadership ability through operationalising regional cooperation and securing the common maritime using the available resources as they work on the Group 3 under the Djibouti Code/ Jeddah Amendment.
Deployment and the continued reaffirming of the Kenya Defence Force’s capacity show the determination to maintain regional stability, maritime security, and the sustainable use of the Western Indian Ocean.
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