KENYA'S MARITIME WATCH

The Kenyan Defence forces has three major sectors: the infantry sector of the Kenya Army, The powerful Kenya Air force and the Kenya Navy. The Department of Defence lately has attracted media attention owing to its purchases of artillery from foreign markets. A large chunk of such weaponry have been to the Kenya Air Force. The National Police too has had its share. The Navy is responsible for securing our waters, and its capacity is the greatest focus of my article.

               BRIEF ON KENYAN COAST                        
The Coastal part of Kenya has realized in the recent past some of the most violent conflicts in the Republic of Kenya. Notable among them being the Mpeketoni attacks and the secessionist movement of the Mombasa Republican Council. Some of the mentioned greatly played against the capabilities of Kenya’s security organs. 
              PROJECTS IN THE COASTAL REGION.
There are numerous projects coming up that are of great economic importance to the Republic of Kenya. The Standard Gauge Railway has its source in Mombasa and the project costing Kenya several billions of money. The Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Project (LAPSSET) has its strategic section being the Kenyan Coast. More berths are also getting constructed. Kenya’s ambitious nuclear project would probably have its installation at the same area due to its natural advantage in the ocean.
              EXTERNAL THREATS 
Kenya lost the preliminaries of the case against Somalia in the World Court which invites a long battle in The Hague between the two states. The case will probably take years before final determination. The state of Somalia is still unable to exercise full sovereignty over its territory despite efforts to democratize. The terrorist networks largely play out as unnecessary actors in the statecraft process. The Kenya-Somali ocean route has for long harboured the piracy menace. This was however de-escalated by a joint swift action by several international players, which made the region, the theatre of gun-boat diplomacy.
              KENYA’S WEAKNESSES.
Integrating the development opportunities propping up and the imminent threats that could be anticipated begs one to evaluate Kenya’s naval capabilities. Global fire power sources indicate that Kenya has only six coastal defence crafts. A further simple search displays the outdated nature of such equipment. The response frameworks in the event of security breaches is clearly impossible. How well is Kenya analysing future theatre, national and multinational threats? Neighbouring a country that has weak security institutions, relating with established naval powers that have interests in the region and their capacity to coerce Kenya into submission, the risks that emanate from an outcome in the maritime case with the China-Philippines example and a cruel history of piracy. Kenya needs a diligent approach that closes out the eventual plunge into a crisis by improving on the ability of its forces. The gradual changes in the strategic environment must be evaluated for the benefit of projected interests’ achievement borne from excellent strategies. 
There is greater need to realize a reduction in the involvement of the big sisters in the region and Kenya asserting its legitimate power. This will help mitigate great power rivalry that may pit Somalia against Kenya in the rush for resources. Developed countries will be tempted to use Kenya’s inability as a bargaining chip while importing western democracy to Somalia as a flirting stand.
Venting off attacks on a nuclear plant demand more, considering the sophisticated nature of the means adversaries employ. The existing outlook is demeaning to such efforts. A crippled unit will not be able to oversee a safe ground for international business that feeds the railway and the pipeline.
A rational strategy should also consider the nature of hostility that a loss to Kenya in the case by Somalia would avail, which might demand for deterrence and similarly Kenya’s choice to dispute the ruling would require. “The powerful take what they want and the weak give what they must” this preposition from antiquity is an embodiment of the need to restructure our naval unit.

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