Kenya Navy
The Kenya Navy is the naval branch of the Kenya Defence Forces. It is headquartered in Mombasa.
Kenya Navy has two major bases for its fleet with it being headquartered in Mtongwe Naval Base, Mombasa and Manda Bay 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
As Great Britain wound down her colonial control in East Africa, the Royal East African Navy was established in 1953, covering Kenya Colony, Tanganyika and Zanzibar. 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 gained independence.In 1976, the Second Squadron, made up of the missile boats KNS Madaraka, KNS Jamhuri and KNS Harambee left Portsmouth 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."
In 1972, Major JCJ Kimaro was promoted to lieutenant colonel by President Jomo Kenyatta and appointed as the first commander of the Kenyan Navy. He died in a road accident in 1978 and Major General Eliud Mbilu took over command until his retirement in 1988 when Brigadier Joseph Kibwana was promoted to major general.
In 2010 it was reported that the United States Navy Naval Special Warfare Group 4 was assisting the creation of a new Kenyan Special Boat Unit within the Kenya Navy.
On 4 September 2012 the Kenyan Navy shelled the Somali city of Kismayo. This was part of an African Union offensive to capture the city from al-Shabab fighters during the War in Somalia. 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.
Fleet
Current Vessels
- Jasiri, survey ship and offshore patrol vessel, Gondan shipyard Spain.
- * KNS Jasiri
- P400 Class offshore patrol vessel
- * KNS Harambee II
- Shupavu Class large patrol boats, Gondan shipyard Spain.
- * P3129 KNS Shujaa
- * P3130 KNS Shupavu
- Nyayo Class missile boats
- * P3126 KNS Nyayo
- * P3127 KNS Umoja
- Madaraka Class small missile boats
- * P3100 KNS Mamba – classed as Mamba Class
- *
- Galana Class/River Class medium landing ship /coastal logistics ships
- * L39 KNS Tana
- * L38 KNS Galana
- Archangel class RHIB
- * 1 – 12-metre IPV
- USGS Defender Class RHIB with outboard motors
- * 5 – 7-metre IPVs were built by SAFE Boats International and donated by the US in 2006 to reduce gun and drug running.
- P101 Class IPVs
- * P943
- * P944
- * P945
- * P946
- * P947
- Personnel Tenders
- YTB Harbour Tug
- * KNS Ngamia
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.- Ford class seaward defence boat
- * KNS Nyati
- Vosper Thornycroft 110' training craft
- Simba Class patrol crafts
- * P3110 KNS Simba – retired 2000
- * P3111 KNS Chui
- * P3112 KNS Ndovu
- Madaraka Class missile boats
- * P3122 KNS Jamhuri
- * P3123 KNS Harambee
- * P3121 KNS ''Madaraka''
Special Operations Squadron
The Special Boat Unit was built up with assistance from the U.S. Navy through its Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen 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 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.