King Abdulla II of Jordan and President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya announced on 26 September that the two nations will forge stronger military cooperation links in order to deal better with emerging security threats. Special forces from the Kenyan Defence Force and Jordan’s Quick reaction Force have already begun joint training, while Jordan has sent an instructor to train Kenyan fighter pilots, 38 of whom will be trained by February 2017.
The announcement was made while both leaders observed Exercise “Swift Eagle” at the Humanitarian Peace Support School, located at Embakasi Garrison in Nairobi. The exercise focused on counter-terrorist and hostage rescue techniques.
President Kenyatta said he appreciated, “the assistance the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has extended to our defence forces, enhancing our Air Force and air crew capacity through a training programme covering diverse skills.” King Abdullah is conducting his first state visit to Kenya, during which it is understood the two nations will seek to improve trade relations, strained in recent years.
