Kenya, Jordan vow to forge stronger military ties

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and visiting King Abdullah II of Jordan vowed on Monday to forge stronger military ties to combat emerging security threats between the two countries.

The two leaders, who witnessed the joint military exercise conducted by elite units from the Kenya Defence Forces and the Royal Jordanian Armed Forces in Nairobi, pledged to cooperate on security issues to deal with terrorism threats.

Speaking during the event, Kenyatta said the joint exercise is aimed at creating and improving interoperability between Kenyan and Jordanian forces.

"I am convinced that now our forces are ready for real problems in either of our countries, or elsewhere, should the need arise to tackle either conventional or asymmetric threats," he said.

Kenyatta lauded Jordan for its military cooperation with Kenya that has seen more than 60 Kenya Air Force officers trained by the Jordanian military. Another 38 will have trained by February next year.

King Abdullah II, who is on his first official visit to Kenya, said Jordan stands shoulder to shoulder with Kenya in confronting the threats of terrorism.

He said the aim of the joint military exercise is "to achieve greater coordination between Kenyan and Jordanian forces, an aim that has been achieved."

"We have started a new chapter in our partnership of friendship. It is a new beginning for Kenya and Jordan," he said.

Kenya has been subjected to successive explosive attacks by Al-Shabaab operatives in the country following the onslaught by Kenyan soldiers on the militant group in Somalia since 2011. Enditem