Kenya Navy

Kenyan Navy Jeshi la Wanamaji
Coat of Arms of the Kenya Navy
Founded	1964; 57 years ago (1964)
Country	Kenya
Type	Navy
Part of	Kenya Defence Forces
Command Headquarters	Nairobi, Kenya
Engagements	Operation Linda Nchi (2011-12)
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief	President Uhuru Kenyatta
Commander	Major General Jimson Longiro Mutai
Insignia
Naval ensign
Presidential color

The Kenya Navy is the naval branch of the Kenya Defence Forces. It is headquartered in Mombasa.

Kenya Navy has Mtongwe base in Mombasa, Shimoni, Msambweni, Malindi, Kilifi and since 1995^[1] another base located in Manda (part of Lamu Archipelago).

History[]

As Great Britain wound down her colonial control in East Africa, the Royal East African Navy (REAN) was established in 1953, covering Kenya Colony, Tanganyika and Zanzibar.^[2] 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.^[3] 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."^[4]

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 was promoted to Major General.

In 2010 it was reported that the United States Navy was assisting the creation of a new Kenyan Special Boat Unit within the Kenya Navy.^[5]

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.^[6]

History of Commanders of the Kenya Navy[]

No.	Rank	Name	Term of office			Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1	Commander	E. M. C. Walker	10 Dec 1964	31 Jul 1967	2 years, 233 days	[7][8] [9]
2	Commander	Anthony Allen Pearse	01 Aug 1967	01 Oct 1969	2 years, 61 days	[10][9]
3	Commander	W. A. E. Hall	02 Oct 1969	31 Oct 1972	3 years, 29 days	[11][9]
4	Lieutenant Colonel	James C. J. Kimaro	01 Nov 1972	11 Feb 1978	5 years, 102 days	[12][13] [9]
5	Major	Eliud Simon Mbilu	12 Feb 1978	10 Apr 1978	57 days	[9]
	Lieutenant Colonel	Eliud Simon Mbilu	11 Apr 1978	30 Nov 1978	233 days	[9][14]
	Colonel	Eliud Simon Mbilu	01 Dec 1978	14 Sept 1980	1 year, 288 days	[9]
	Brigadier	Eliud Simon Mbilu	15 Sept 1980	14 Sep 1982	1 year, 364 days	[9]
	Major General	Eliud Simon Mbilu	15 Sep 1982	01 Apr 1988	5 years, 199 days	[9][15]
6	Major General	Joseph Raymond Edward Kibwana	02 Apr 1988	01 May 1998	10 years, 29 days	[9][16]
7	Major General	Aboud Abdalla Rafrouf	02 May 1998	30 Nov 2001	3 years, 212 days	[9]
8	Major General	Pastor Omudho Awitta, MGH,EBS	01 Dec 2001	26 Jul 2006	4 years, 237 days	[9]
9	Major General	Samson Jefwa Mwathethe, EGH, MBS, DCO, ‘ndc’ (K) ‘psc’ (UK)	27 Jul 2006	12 Jul 2011	4 years, 350 days	[9]
10	Major General	Ngewa Mukala, MGH,EBS,DCO 'ndc' (K), 'psc'(K)	13 Jul 2011	10 Aug 2015	4 years, 28 days	[9]
11	Major General	Levi Franklin Mghalu, MGH,MBS, 'ndc' (K), 'psn' (RSA)	11 Aug 2015	11 May 2020	4 years, 268 days	[9]
12	Major General	Jimson Longiro Mutai, MGH, MBS ‘ndc’(K) ‘psc’(K)	12 May 2020	Incumbent	1 year, 133 days	[17]

Fleet[]

Current Vessels[]

• Jasiri, survey ship and offshore patrol vessel, Gondan shipyard Spain.^[18]
  • (P3124)

Built as a Jasiri Class oceanographic survey vessel at a cost of Sh4.1 billion.^[18] Given to Euromarine, a company associated with Anura Pereira, the tender was awarded irregularly, as part of the Anglo-Leasing scandal. Military analysts say a similar vessel could have been built for Sh1.8 billion.^[19] 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.^[18]

• P400 Class offshore patrol vessel
  • (P3134)

Former French P400 class patrol vessel La Rieuse. Donated by France for anti-piracy patrols .^[20]

• Shupavu Class large patrol boats, Gondan shipyard Spain.^[21]
  • P6129 KNS Shujaa
  • P6130 KNS Shupavu

Built to civilian standards in 1997 and entered service in 1997. Armed with a 76mm and a 30mm gun in Kenya.^[22]

• 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.^[22][23] Armed with 4 Otomat SSM, 1 76 mm OTO DP, 1 dual 30 mm AA, 2 20 mm machine guns^[24] From March 2009 to July 2011 these ships underwent an extensive refit at Fincantieri's Muggiano shipyard in northern Italy, during which their surface-to-surface missile (SSM) systems were removed, effectively reducing the vessels to an OPV configuration.^[25] Ships of this class are 57 meters long, displace 450 tonnes and have a crew of 45.^[18]

• 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.^[26] KNS Mamba has a non-functioning missile system and is currently used as an OPV. Remainder of the class decommissioned^[22][27] and placed in reserve status.^[24] Formerly armed with 4 Gabriel SSM, 1 dual 30 mm AA.^[24]

• Galana Class/River Class medium landing ship (LSM) /
  • L39 KNS Tana
  • L38 KNS Galana

Built by Construnaves-CEN, Gondan, Spain and delivered in December 1993 from Spain and entered service in 1994.^[1][22] Used for logistics.^[24] These ships are unarmed and used for amphibious warfare.

• Archangel class RHIB (jet boat)^[28]
  • 1 – 12-metre IPV

Built by SAFE Boats International and donated by the USA in 2006 to reduce gun and drug running.^[22]

• USGS Defender Class RHIB with outboard motors^[29]
  • 5 – 7-metre IPVs were built by SAFE Boats International and donated by the USA in 2006 to reduce gun and drug running.^[22]
• 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.^[22]

• Personnel Tenders

Two built by Cowes in 1998. Each can carry 136 passengers.^[22]

• 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.

• Ford class seaward defence boat
  • KNS Nyati

Donated by the Royal Navy in 1964 and used as a training vessel. It was formerly known HMS Aberford.^[23] It was sold for scrap in 1971.

• Vosper Thornycroft 110' training craft

Training craft was retired in 2000.

• 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.^[30]

• 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.^[26] KNS Madaraka was decommissioned in 2000, and KNS Jamhuri and KNS Harambee in 2002.^[22][27]

Ranks[]

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

Further reading[]

• Commander Anthony Pearse (March 2008). From Stormy Seas to Calmer Waters: Sailor at Sea, Salesman Ashore. Brewin Books. ISBN 1858584272. "appointed to head a Training team in Kenya whilst on loan to President Kenyatta as Commander in Chief of the emerging Kenya Navy - and in the time of the Cold War finding himself entertaining the Russian Admiral in command of a visiting missile squadron."[3]

External links[]

• Kenya Navy
• British Warships in East Africa – 1950–65
• financial/procurement course request to U.S. Embassy Nairobi, 1974