By Makutu Manneh
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of The Gambia Armed Forces (GAF), Lieutenant General Mamat O. Cham, on Tuesday, 7th October 2025, paid a courtesy visit to the Chief of the Defence Forces (CDF) of Kenya, General Charles Kahariri, in Nairobi, as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral military cooperation between the two countries.
Lieutenant General Cham was accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising Brigadier General Sait Njie, Commander of the Gambia National Army; Colonel Musa Trawally, Defence Attaché to Addis Ababa; Lieutenant Colonel Abdoulie Jobe, Military Assistant to the CDS; Major Momodou Bah, Aide-de-Camp to the CDS; and Major Abdoulie Secka, Commandant of the GAF Training School.
According to GAF, the meeting focused on enhancing collaboration in key areas, including regional security, peace support operations, capacity building, defence engineering, and intelligence sharing. Other areas of mutual interest discussed included counterterrorism, professional military education, joint operations, and training.“Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the African Union’s “Silencing the Guns” initiative through enhanced defence collaboration and professionalism. They also agreed to initiate negotiations towards a Defence Cooperation Agreement between the two countries,” GAF stated.
During the discussions, Lieutenant General Cham commended Kenya for its leadership role in promoting peace and stability in the Horn of Africa and beyond. He praised the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) for their professionalism, strong leadership, and valuable contributions to international peacekeeping and counterterrorism efforts.
General Kahariri, in turn, reiterated Kenya’s commitment to fostering strategic partnerships with The Gambia and other like-minded nations to address emerging security challenges across the continent. He expressed Kenya’s readiness to share expertise and best practices in command, logistics, leadership development, and operational efficiency.
On 6th October 2025, prior to the meeting in Nairobi, CDS Cham also paid a courtesy call on the Kenya Navy Commander, Major General Paul Otieno, at the Kenya Navy Headquarters in Mtongwe, Mombasa County. Discussions centered on maritime security cooperation, naval training, and capacity building.
Lieutenant General Cham further visited the Uhuru Gardens National Monument and Museum (UGNM&M) to pay tribute to Kenya’s military heritage. During his stay, he is also scheduled to visit the Joint Command and Staff College (JCSC), the National Defence College (NDC), the National Defence University–Kenya (NDU–K) in Nairobi, and the Kenya Military Academy (KMA) in Nakuru County.