Kenya advanced this regional agenda by hosting the Working Group 3 (WG 3) Regional Workshop on Operational Cooperation and Coordination at Sea at the Mombasa Continental Resort on 7 September 2026. The workshop brought together maritime security stakeholders and partners to assess emerging challenges and identify practical measures for strengthening operational cooperation across the Western Indian Ocean.
The Commander Kenya Navy, Major General Paul Otieno, officially opened the workshop, which marked one year since the establishment of Working Group 3 and Kenya’s assumption of its chairmanship.
The milestone provided an opportunity to review progress achieved over the past year, exchange operational experiences and strengthen mechanisms for responding collectively to shared maritime security challenges.
Addressing participants, Major General Otieno underscored the strategic importance of maritime cooperation to regional stability, economic prosperity and sustainable development. He noted that a secure maritime environment enables legitimate activities such as shipping, trade, transportation and fisheries to flourish, sustaining livelihoods and supporting economic growth across the region.
Discussions focused on strengthening operational coordination, maritime domain awareness, information sharing and partnerships among participating nations and maritime security institutions. Participants also emphasised the importance of preserving a rules-based maritime environment anchored on international law, applicable national legislation and shared responsibility.
Kenya’s chairmanship of Working Group 3 places the country at the centre of efforts to translate regional maritime security dialogue into practical operational cooperation. Through the Kenya Navy, the country continues to promote stronger partnerships and collaborative mechanisms capable of enhancing collective responses to threats within the shared maritime domain.
The strategic imperative is clear. Growing maritime traffic, expanding commercial activity and the increasingly complex nature of threats at sea demand coordinated responses. Challenges that transcend national boundaries cannot be effectively addressed through isolated action. They require trusted partnerships, timely information sharing, interoperability and the ability to coordinate responses across jurisdictions.
The workshop therefore went beyond dialogue. It strengthened professional networks, operational linkages and the collective capacity required to anticipate threats, coordinate responses and safeguard shared maritime interests.
For the Western Indian Ocean, security at sea is inseparable from prosperity ashore. Protecting the maritime domain means securing trade routes, sustaining livelihoods, preserving marine resources and creating conditions for regional economies to thrive.
Through Working Group 3, Kenya and its partners are strengthening a regional security architecture founded on trust, cooperation and shared responsibility—ensuring that the Western Indian Ocean remains safe, secure and stable for the nations and communities whose security and prosperity depend upon it.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Defence - Kenya.
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