New Delhi: India and Kenya have expanded their maritime engagement through a series of joint training exercises, operational exchanges and community initiatives during Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Varaha’s visit to Mombasa. The visit has brought together maritime security cooperation and people-to-people engagement, with activities spanning search and rescue training, shipboard operations and community outreach.
The latest engagements on Wednesday, included a volleyball match between personnel, aimed at strengthening camaraderie and mutual understanding. Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS) personnel also visited ICGS Varaha to interact with its crew and exchange operational experience and best practices in shipboard operations.
Community outreach formed another part of the programme, with a team led by the ship’s commanding officer, Comdt Ramanjeet Singh Rana, visiting Mji wa Salama Orphanage in Mombasa. The team interacted with children and donated essential supplies, extending the visit beyond professional engagements and reinforcing people-to-people ties between the two countries.
According to the Indian high commission, latest activities followed professional engagements on Tuesday, when the ICGS and KCGS personnel participated in a maritime search and rescue tabletop exercise. Training in visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) and nuclear, biological, chemical and damage control (NBCD) was also conducted to improve coordination, maritime law enforcement and safety at sea.
ICGS Varaha also welcomed members of the local community and the Indian diaspora onboard during the port call. A separate yoga session held on Tuesday brought together the ship’s crew and members of the overseas Indian community, promoting wellness and highlighting shared cultural ties between India and Kenya.
During the visit, Comdt Rana, accompanied by the defence adviser at the Indian high commission in Nairobi, called on Bruno Shioso, director general of the KCGS. The discussions centred on strengthening cooperation through training and joint exercises, while a separate meeting with Capt William Ruto, managing director of the Kenya ports authority, covered port security, maritime safety, connectivity and bilateral trade.
ICGS Varaha arrived in Mombasa on Monday as part of its overseas deployment. The visit marked the third call by an Indian Navy or ICGS vessel at the Kenyan port this year, following earlier visits by INS Trikand and INS Tarkash.
The repeated visits underscore the growing maritime partnership between India and Kenya under their Bahari joint vision and India’s Mahasagar vision. Through operational cooperation and community engagement, both countries are seeking to strengthen maritime security and foster closer ties across the Indian Ocean region.