Nairob, Kenya- November 19th. 2025-Sierra Leone’s High Commissioner to the Republic of Kenya, His Excellency Peter K. Lavahun has met with Kenya’s Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), General Charles Muriu Kahariri, at the Ministry of Defence in Nairobi. In a warm, forward- looking and strategic diplomatic engagement, High Commissioner Lavahun used his courtesy call on the Kenyan CDF to spotlight, bolster, and protect the excellent relationship between the two nations’ militaries.
Drawing from his own history as a former liaison officer to the Kenyan Defence Forces (KDF) during joint operations in Somalia, Lavahun recalled years of shared trenches, tough missions, and trusted camaraderie. His message was clear: the partnership built in Mogadishu still carries weight in Freetown. He thanked the Kenyan military for the crucial role it played during Sierra Leone’s civil war and for the continued training opportunities extended to officers of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) — opportunities he described as uninterrupted and invaluable.
HE Lavahun also emphasized Sierra Leone’s eagerness to deepen cooperation, noting the existing defence agreement awaiting revitalization and hinting at future possibilities, including potential co-deployment in upcoming international peace-support missions.
The CDF, for his part, received the High Commissioner and delegation with warmth that suggested the feeling was mutual. Expressing gratitude for the visit, he affirmed Kenya’s readiness to expand professional engagement with Sierra Leone and to increase military training slots available to RSLAF personnel. He even shared a personal anecdote — a brief stay in Sierra Leone during Liberia’s civil war — underscoring just how intertwined the countries’ peacekeeping histories have been.
The two leaders discussed various issues of convergence, not only limited to military cooperation but also to strengthen the existing diplomatic ties between the two nations, investment possibilities, etc.
Accompanying the High Commissioner were: Mr. Abdul Karim Kargbo, Minister Plenipotentiary, Sierra Leone High Commission in Kenya; and Mr. Abu Bakarr Dakowa, the Information Attache’ to the said Mission.
Closing the meeting on an optimistic note, the CDS reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to sustained defence cooperation, leaving the door wide open for broader, more structured collaboration in the years ahead.
Abu Bakarr Dakowa
SLHC, Kenya.
