The Kenya Navy is the

naval A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It inclu ...

branch of the Kenya Defence Forces. It is headquartered in

Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of the British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital city status. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town ...

. Kenya Navy has two major bases for its fleet with it being headquartered in Mtongwe Naval Base, Mombasa and Manda Bay (part of

Lamu Archipelago The Lamu Archipelago is located in the Indian Ocean close to the northern coast of Kenya, to which it belongs. The islands lie between the towns of Lamu and Kiunga, near the Coast Province. It is a part of Lamu District. The largest of the is ...

) being the second naval base. The navy also operates naval stations in Shimoni, Msambweni, Malindi and Kilifi. The Kenya Navy fleet is organized into two fighting squadrons and a logistical support squadron, namely the pioneer 66 Squadron, the 76 Squadron and the 86 Squadron all supported by a Special Operations Squadron, the Fleet Maintenance Unit and a newly formed elite Marine Ranger Regiment.

History

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...

wound down her colonial control in East Africa, the Royal East African Navy (REAN) was established in 1953, covering

Kenya Colony The Colony and Protectorate of Kenya, commonly known as British Kenya or British East Africa, was part of the British Empire in Africa. It was established when the former East Africa Protectorate was transformed into a British Crown colony in ...

Tanganyika Tanganyika may refer to: Places * Tanganyika Territory (1916–1961), a former British territory which preceded the sovereign state * Tanganyika (1961–1964), a sovereign state, comprising the mainland part of present-day Tanzania * Tanzania Main ...

and

Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islan ...

. Following the disbanding of the REAN in 1962, the East African Railways and Harbours Corporation assumed control of naval operations in the former colonies until the independent states were ready to establish their own navies. The Kenyan Navy was established on 12 December 1964, exactly one year after

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

gained independence. In 1976, the Second Squadron, made up of the missile boats KNS ''Madaraka,'' KNS ''Jamhuri'' and KNS ''Harambee'' left

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most d ...

to sail to Kenya, arriving later that year. In late August 1976, during the delivery voyage, the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi was approached to request assistance for two of the patrol boats, off the Somali coast and not having "enough fuel to reach Mombasa." KNSMadaraka

In 1972,

Major JCJ Kimaro Lieutenant Colonel J. C. J. Kimaro was the first Kenyan to command the Kenya Navy, replacing Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings ...

was promoted to

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colon ...

by President

Jomo Kenyatta Jomo Kenyatta (22 August 1978) was a Kenyan anti- colonial activist and politician who governed Kenya as its Prime Minister from 1963 to 1964 and then as its first President from 1964 to his death in 1978. He was the country's first indigenous ...

and appointed as the first commander of the Kenyan Navy. He died in a road accident in 1978 and

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

Eliud Mbilu Eliud Simon Mbilu was the longest serving commander of the Kenyan Navy from 1978 until his retirement in 1988. Early life Simon Mbilu was born the eldest of six siblings in 1942 in Mombasa, an island town of the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya. ...

took over command until his retirement in 1988 when

Brigadier Joseph Kibwana Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. In ...

was promoted to

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

. In 2010 it was reported that the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

Naval Special Warfare Group 4 was assisting the creation of a new Kenyan Special Boat Unit within the Kenya Navy.Whittenberger, Chief Mass Communication Specialist Kathryn. "Naval Special Warfare Assists in Building Kenyan Special Boat Unit." The U.S. Navy. N.p., 10 June 2010. Web. 2 July 2010. . On 4 September 2012 the Kenyan Navy shelled the

Somali Somali may refer to: Horn of Africa * Somalis, an inhabitant or ethnicity associated with Greater Somali Region ** Proto-Somali, the ancestors of modern Somalis ** Somali culture ** Somali cuisine ** Somali language, a Cushitic language ** Somali ...

city of

Kismayo Kismayo ( so, Kismaayo, Maay: ''Kismanyy'', ar, كيسمايو, ; it, Chisimaio) is a port city in the southern Lower Juba (Jubbada Hoose) province of Somalia. It is the commercial capital of the autonomous Jubaland region. The city is situat ...

. This was part of an

African Union The African Union (AU) is a continental union consisting of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the Africa ...

offensive to capture the city from al-Shabab fighters during the

War in Somalia War in Somalia can refer to: *Somali Civil War (1991–present) :*War in Somalia (1992–1993) U.N. Unified Task Force :*Somalia War (2006–2009), Ethiopian intervention :*Somali Civil War (2009–present) The Somali Civil War (2009–prese ...

. The harbour was shelled twice and the airport three times. According to a UN report the export of charcoal through Kismayo is a major source of income for al-Shabab.

Commanders of the Kenya Navy

Fleet

Current Vessels

* ''Jasiri,'' survey ship and offshore patrol vessel, Gondan shipyard Spain. ** KNS ''Jasiri'' (P3124) : Built as a Jasiri Class oceanographic survey vessel at a cost of Sh4.1 billion. Given to Euromarine, a company associated with Anura Pereira, the tender was awarded irregularly, as part of the

Anglo-Leasing scandal The Anglo Leasing scandal was a government procurement facilitated corruption scandal in Kenya. Origins The scandal is alleged to have started when the Kenyan Government wanted to replace its passport printing system, in 1997, but came to light ...

. Military analysts say a similar vessel could have been built for Sh1.8 billion. Later fitted with armament at the navy's Mkunguni dockyard. Commissioned into the navy on 29 August 2012. It currently is the largest vessel in the fleet. It is 85 meters long, displaces 1400 tonnes, and has a maximum crew of 81. * P400 Class

offshore patrol vessel A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and th ...

** KNS ''Harambee II'' (P3134) : Former French

P400 class patrol vessel The P400-class patrol vessels are small patrol boats of the French Navy. They were designed to accomplish police operations in the French exclusive economic zone (EEZ). They were built by the ''Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie'', which spec ...

''La Rieuse''. Donated by France for anti-piracy patrols . * Shupavu Class large patrol boats, Gondan shipyard Spain. ** P3129 KNS ''Shujaa'' ** P3130 KNS ''Shupavu'' : Built to civilian standards in 1997 and entered service in 1997. Armed with a 76mm and a 30mm gun in Kenya. * Nyayo Class missile boats ** P3126 KNS ''Nyayo'' ** P3127 KNS ''Umoja'' : Built by Vosper Thornycroft, these are similar to the Omani Province class, and were delivered in 1987. Armed with 4 Otomat SSM, 1 76 mm OTO DP, 1 dual 30 mm AA, 2 20 mm

machine gun A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles ...

s From March 2009 to July 2011 these ships underwent an extensive refit at

Fincantieri Fincantieri S.p.A. () is an Italian shipbuilding company based in Trieste, Italy. Already the largest shipbuilder in Europe, after the acquisition of Vard in 2013, Fincantieri group doubled in size to become the fourth largest in the world (2014 ...

's Muggiano shipyard in northern Italy, during which their surface-to-surface missile (SSM) systems were removed, drastically reducing the vessels to an OPV configuration. Ships of this class are 57 meters long, displace 450 tonnes and have a crew of 45. * Madaraka Class small missile boats ** P3100 KNS ''Mamba'' – classed as Mamba Class ** (For three other boats see retired Madaraka Class boats below) : Delivered from 1974–1976 (''Mamba'' was delivered in 1976) and built by Brooke Marine along with three others of the class.Google earth placemarks: Kenya Navy
/ref> KNS ''Mamba'' has a non-functioning missile system and is currently used as an OPV. Remainder of the class decommissionedJane's Fighting Ships 2008Daily Nation, 7 March 2002

/ref> and placed in reserve status.
/ref> Formerly armed with 4 Gabriel SSM, 1 dual 30 mm AA. * Galana Class/River Class medium landing ship (LSM) /

coastal logistics ship The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in ...

s ** L39 KNS ''Tana'' ** L38 KNS ''Galana'' : Built by Construnaves-CEN, Gondan, Spain and delivered in December 1993 from Spain and entered service in 1994.Kenya Navy: Memorable events
Used for logistics. These ships are unarmed and used for amphibious warfare. * Archangel class RHIB (jet boat) ** 1 – 12-metre IPV : Built by

SAFE Boats International Founded in 1997, SAFE Boats International is an American-based boat manufacturer. SAFE stands for Secure All-around Flotation Equipped. Their headquarters is near Seattle in neighboring Bremerton, Washington. SAFE Boats International manufacture ...

and donated by the USA in 2006 to reduce gun and drug running. * USGS Defender Class RHIB with outboard motors ** 5 – 7-metre IPVs were built by

and donated by the US in 2006 to reduce gun and drug running. * P101 Class IPVs ** P943 ** P944 ** P945 ** P946 ** P947 : These ex- Spanish Navy patrol boats were built by ARESA (Arenys del Mar, Barcelona) from 1978 to 1982 and procured by Kenya in 1995. Each is 12m long, with a top speed of 16kts, and armed with a 12.7mm machine gun. * Personnel Tenders : Two built by

Cowes Cowes () is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina, facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east bank. The two towns are linked by the Cowes Fl ...

in 1998. Each can carry 136 passengers. * YTB Harbour Tug ** KNS ''Ngamia'' : Built by James Lamont, Port Glasgow in 1969 for Mombasa Port Authority and transferred to the navy in 1983. Four 10 Meter Metal Shark RHIBs powered by twin 300 horsepower Yamaha outboard engines. Donated by US Navy in June 2015.

Past Vessels

The Kenya navy has replaced many older vessels from the navy's early years, mostly transfers from the Royal East African Navy via the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...

. *

Ford class seaward defence boat The Ford-class seaward defence boats were built for the Royal Navy (with three built for the South African Navy) in the 1950s. Development They were designed to detect and attack hostile submarines, including midget submarines in inshore wat ...

** KNS ''Nyati'' : Donated by the

in 1964 and used as a training vessel. It was formerly known HMS ''Aberford''.Daily Nation, Saturday Magazine, 28 August 1999
An introduction to the marine forces
/ref> It was sold for scrap in 1971. * Vosper Thornycroft 110' training craft : Training craft was retired in 2000. * Simba Class patrol crafts (from the UK) ** P3110 KNS ''Simba'' – retired 2000 ** P3111 KNS ''Chui'' ** P3112 KNS ''Ndovu'' : These boats were delivered from Britain in 1966. These ships were built by Vosper Thornycroft. KNS ''Simba'' was decommissioned in 1997.Kenya Navy: Online museum
* Madaraka Class missile boats (UK) ** P3122 KNS ''Jamhuri'' ** P3123 KNS ''Harambee'' ** P3121 KNS ''Madaraka'' : These missile boats were delivered in 1976 along with KNS ''Mamba'', and were built by Brooke Marine. KNS ''Madaraka'' was decommissioned in 2000, and KNS ''Jamhuri'' and KNS ''Harambee'' in 2002.

Special Operations Squadron

The Kenya Navy at the turn of the 21st Century took keen interest at developing specialized units within its ranks to handle emerging threats such as terrorism, drug running and piracy. This led to the establishment of a Special Operations Squadron (SOS) to provide an entity similar to the

Army Special Operations Brigade (Kenya) The Army Special Operations Brigade is a special forces unit of the Kenyan Army, tasked with airborne operations, commando raids, reconnaissance, counter-insurgency, infiltration and other specialized forms of warfare. Overview This is the umbr ...

, that is to provide a unified command structure for its various special units. The Special Boat Unit (SBU) was built up with assistance from the U.S. Navy through its Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC) personnel in 2010 and continues to enjoy joint training exercises with the U.S. military. It is tasked with predominantly patrolling the northern coastline near the Somali border at Kiunga and is based at the revamped Manda Naval Base near Lamu. They are known to possess Defender-Class response boats for rapid high seas interdictions and patrols. The Clearance Diving Unit (CDU) formerly known as the Ships Diving Section is an older unit that trains combat divers for the navy. Members are trained in deep sea diving, beach surveying, explosive ordnance disposal and parachute dropping. They are thought to be headquartered at the main naval base in Mtongwe, Mombasa. The Kenya Navy has also taken steps in developing a naval infantry force to supplement the work of these special units, it is assumed that this new force will be modelled along the lines of other naval marines.

Ranks

The names of ranks in the Kenya Navy are army-style, rather than traditional

-derived usage as in the remainder of the Commonwealth. Officer ranks * Second Lieutenant (Midshipman) * Lieutenant (Sub-Lieutenant) * Captain (Lieutenant) * Major (Lieutenant Commander) * Lieutenant Colonel (Commander) * Colonel (Captain) * Brigadier (Commodore) * Major General (Rear-Admiral) * Lieutenant General (Vice Admiral) * General (Admiral)

References

External links

* https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/national/article/2001426229/eyes-on-navy-as-kenya-takes-tough-stance-on-somalia and the Kenya Navy A 50 Year Voyage Official Commemorative Publication of the Golden Jubilee.
Kenya Navy

{{authority control Military of Kenya, Navy Navies by country Military units and formations established in 1964

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...