Military forces from member states of the East African Community on Monday launched the 14th edition of the joint regional military exercise, Ushirikiano Imara 2026, in Kenya as part of efforts to enhance regional peace and security cooperation.
The exercise was officially opened at the Peace Support Training School in Nairobi and will run for three weeks under the theme: “Enhancing regional cooperation and capabilities in peace support, security and resilience.”
The drills bring together military personnel, police officers, civilians and regional security stakeholders to strengthen interoperability, joint operational readiness and coordinated responses to emerging security threats across the East African region.
Participating countries include Rwanda, Kenya, Burundi, Uganda and Tanzania, while Somalia is attending as an observer.
A total of 342 participants drawn from the military, police and civilian institutions are taking part in the exercise, which is regarded as a key platform for strengthening collective security mechanisms within the region.
Organisers say the annual drills are intended to deepen military cooperation among EAC partner states and improve the region’s capacity to respond jointly to peacekeeping and security challenges.
