Royal Navy shares life-saving expertise with Kenyan Navy

A training team of two British sailors – Lieutenant Graeme Nolan and Chief Petty Officer Gordon McDonald – were deployed to the Kenyan Naval College in Mtongwe Naval Base to share the Royal Navy’s invaluable expertise and considerable experience in areas of sea sense, safety and security. 

The pair worked with Kenyan instructors who will give safety, firefighting and damage control training to their compatriots, helping them reach internationally recognised standards. 

Lt Nolan, from HMS Sultan in Gosport, Hampshire, said: “Recent Royal Navy operations and the ongoing war in Ukraine have further demonstrated the need for modern Armed Forces to develop the thinking and problem-solving skills of their people at all ranks.  

“The skills instilled in the Kenyan instructors will be vital to the development of Kenyan sailors’ capabilities to meet their command’s intent providing effective safety and security at sea.”

Commander of the Kenyan Naval Training College, Colonel Aden Mohamed, added: “Members of the Royal Navy always deliver training of the highest standard and I am encouraging my own teaching staff to commit to the same level of professionalism in their training delivery.”

The deployment was part of an ongoing UK project which included providing a small firefighting and damage control unit.

Lt Nolan is an Engineering Training Manager at Sultan, while CPO McDonald is a Marine Engineer Submariner currently working as a Firefighting Instructor at Faslane in Scotland. 

The efforts of the pair will help the Kenyan Navy delivered aspirations to achieve International Maritime Organisation standards of Watchkeeping and Certification in basic sea safety.

While in Kenya, the British sailors also visited Mji Wa Salama Children’s Home and gave kids toys, books, stationary and clothes donated by the Naval Children’s Charity, Toynbee School and the Federation of Bursledon Schools.

They both also saw wildlife at Tsavo East National Park during downtime between delivering training to the Kenyan instructors.

Commander Karen Cahill, at the British Peace Support Team (Africa) based in Nairobi added: “The students were delighted with the training and commented on how they will use their new knowledge in instructional techniques (including collaboration and group problem solving) to improve their overall delivery in all of their classes going forward.”