NAIROBI, Kenya — The National Police Leadership Academy (NPLA) in Ngong has hosted a delegation from the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen regional cooperation in peace operations training.
The visit, held on Monday, focused on exploring areas of collaboration between the National Police Service (NPS) and the EASF, including the potential certification of the NPLA as an EASF-accredited police training centre in Kenya.
The delegation was led by the Senior Advisor to the EASF Police Component, Allan Riis, SP, from Denmark.
He was accompanied by the EASF Personnel and Administration Officer, Stephen Odula, SP, and Administration Assistant Frida Mungania.
They were received by the NPLA Commandant, Mr David K. Mathiu, AIG, together with members of the academy’s senior management team.
According to the National Police Service, discussions centred on enhancing peace operations training, aligning curricula with regional and international standards, and strengthening institutional capacity to support police deployments in peace support and stability operations.
Speaking on behalf of Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, Commandant Mathiu acknowledged the EASF’s continued support for Kenya’s police training programmes.
He noted that numerous officers from the National Police Service have benefited from specialised courses offered under EASF frameworks, particularly in areas related to peacekeeping, command leadership and operational readiness.
“The engagement reflects our shared commitment to professionalising police peace operations and ensuring officers are adequately prepared for regional and international deployments,” Mathiu said.
The Eastern Africa Standby Force is a regional security organisation mandated to enhance peace and security across the Eastern Africa region.
It serves as a rapid deployment mechanism for preventive diplomacy, rapid intervention, peace support operations, stability missions and peace enforcement.
Kenya has been an active contributor to regional and international peace operations, including African Union and United Nations missions.
Accreditation of the NPLA as an EASF training centre would further position the country as a regional hub for police leadership and peace operations training.
