India has offered to supply the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) with Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicles, as the country grapples with rising attacks from militants and roadside bombs in the northeast.
The offer was reported today by the Indian Defence Research Wing (IDRW), following talks between India's Ministry of Defence and a Kenyan military delegation.
According to the report, the Kenyan officers were shown several armoured vehicle models to consider. Among the machines being pushed is the Medium Bullet-Proof Vehicle made by BEML, a state-owned Indian company.
Private firms Tata and Bharat Forge also have armoured vehicles on the table. All of them are built to protect soldiers from landmines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and ambushes along military convoy routes.
The timing matters. Just last week, on October 9, the Hagadera Sub-County Police Commander and his driver were killed when their vehicle hit a suspected IED on the Saretho Dadaab road in Garissa County.
For residents of the region, these attacks are not new. Roads that people use to move goods, go to school, or visit the hospital have become dangerous, and security forces have been forced to rethink how they move around.
India, for its part, is keen to sell more defence equipment across Africa. It is offering financing options and promising faster export approvals as it tries to win business from established suppliers, China among them.
Kenya and India are not strangers in this area, the two countries have worked together on military training, professional education, maritime security, and defence manufacturing. Their cooperation was given a bigger push in 2023 with the adoption of BAHARI, a maritime security vision.
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