The historical height of Israeli-Kenyan cooperation occurred during Operation Entebbe in 1976. The Mossad operated a station in Kenya, and while the Israeli government was plotting the Entebbe rescue mission, it relied heavily on Kenya. One of Kenya’s government officials, Scottish- born Bruce McKenzie, was considered a friend to the Mossad.[11] After an attack in an Israeli Hotel in the beginning of the 2000s Israel and Kenya strengthened their military and security relations significantly.[12]

Kenya has been a customer of Israeli Military Industries. Israel sold Kenya a considerable amount of arms and military know-how. Hundreds of Kenyan soldiers have received training in combating terrorism in Israel or were trained in Kenya by official or semi-official Israeli instructors.[13]  In 2009 Negev light machine guns and Galil sniper rifles were documented in Kenya.[14] [15]  The Israeli company Tandu Technologies and Security systems published on their website that the company trained Kenyan soldiers in the usage of SOLTAM mortars.[16]

In early 2010 Kenya was reportedly interested in buying weapons from Israel to counter what the Kenyan Internal Security Minister, George Sai toti, characterized as an Islamist threat originating in Somalia. [17] In the same year the commander of the Kenyan armed forces visited Israel to ‘strengthen the military cooperation between the two countries and examine a possible cooperation with the Israeli Defense Industries’.[18] Later in 2010 the Israeli Minister for Public Security, Yitzhak Aharonovich, paid a visit to Kenya and mentioned Kenya as a ‘critical ally’ and promised ‘much more support on the war against terrorism’, particularly on the border with Somalia. In September 2010, the heads of the Kenyan police and anti-terror unit also visited an Israeli company specializing in surveillance systems to look at ‘new technologies’.[19]

In 2011, Israel and Kenya concluded the Agreement on Cooperation in Public Security Issues.[20]  [21]

In the same year it was reported that Israel Aerospace Industries conducted flight demonstrations of the Heron drone in Kenya.[22] Different organizations and media platforms reported that Israeli companies sold UAV systems to East-African countries, Kenya being one of them, without further details about which drone was purchased and delivered.[23] [24]

In 2013, during an attack on the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi Israeli forces quickly intervened in support of Kenyan troops to regain control of the mall. Israeli security advisers were dispatched to help Kenyan forces. [25] [26] East African countries, especially Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda, have become bases for Israeli intelligence services, provided with the latest monitoring devices.[27]

In 2015 media reported that Kenyan police, aided by intelligence, equipment and training from Israel and the UK, have assassinated nearly 500 terrorism suspects as part of an extrajudicial killing program.[28]

Following Netanyahu’s visit in 2016, it was announced that Kenya would be working with Israeli counter-terrorism officials to build a 440-mile wall along its border with Somalia, to prevent the spread of terrorism.[29]

In 2016, Israeli counterterrorism and intelligence agencies set up a special command center in the Kenyan port city of Mombasa. Israel has successfully led Kenyan operations against the Al Qaeda cells embedded in eastern and southern Kenya. Israel has trained the Elite guards that protect VIPs in Africa.

In 2019 media reported that that Israeli commando forces trained local forces in more than a dozen African nations, including Kenya. Aviezer Segal, Israel’s military attaché to Africa said that they were mostly being trained in Krav Maga, shooting skills and hostage rescue situations.[30]

Cyber security:

During a meeting of the Joint Trade Committee (JTC) the Israeli government has pledged to help Kenya implement World Bank projects, among them cyber security.[31]

A new report by CitizenLab names Kenya as one of the African countries that have been employing surveilling platforms by the Israeli company Circles to access telephone calls, SMS messages and location services of citizens, protestors, and opposition leaders. Circles is said to be affiliated with Tel-Aviv based NSO Group.[32] [33]

In 2019 the Israeli embassy in Nairobi hosted an event about cooperation in Cyber with Kenya.[34] In September 2020 the Israel Trade Mission in Kenya organized an Event about homeland security and cyber challenges with the participation of the director of counter terrorism of the East African Police Chiefs organization, members of the Kenya Cyber Security Association and head of Information Security at the ICT Authority of Kenya.[35]

The Israeli company ThinkCyber together with Kenyan company Modcom Institute of Technology conducted cyber security trainings in Kenya.[36] Also, the Israeli cyber company Senpai provided cyber-hacking tools and surveillance services to Kenya.[37]

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (CID) used mobile off-the-air interception devices between 2010-2011, provided by Israeli tech company Verint Systems. Kenyan officers tasked with procurement travelled abroad as guests of Verint Systems’ Israel office and to trade fairs, according to documents seen by Privacy International.[38]