Seoul Defence Dialogue Forum(SDD) 2026/HANDOUT
Kenya is participating in the Seoul Defence Dialogue (SDD) 2026, a three-day international security forum bringing together about 1,000 participants from 67 countries to discuss emerging security challenges and opportunities for stronger defence cooperation.
The Dialogue is being held in Seoul, South Korea, under the theme “Toward a New Coexistence in the Age of Turbulence.”
Kenya is represented by Principal Secretary for Defence Dr Patrick Mariru, who is accompanied by Col Mwalimu Kazungu Nzai and Col Dmitry Gwandho Asewe.
The opening ceremony was held on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, and was presided over by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea. President Lee Jae Myung participated virtually.
In his remarks, President Lee called for stronger international security cooperation as global security challenges become increasingly complex and interconnected.
He said a new model of security cooperation should be based on “strong deterrence, international norms and shared resilience”.
The President noted that the challenges facing the international community cannot be addressed by any single country.
The first day of the Dialogue featured three plenary sessions focusing on the evolving global security environment, alliances and partnerships, and defence industrial and logistics ecosystems.
The first plenary, titled “Evolution of Alliances and Partnerships”, examined the changing nature of security alliances and the need to strengthen cooperation through bilateral, minilateral and multilateral frameworks.
Discussions emphasised predictable role-sharing, joint capability development, institutionalised burden-sharing and greater interoperability among partners.
A second plenary also examined the evolution of alliances and partnerships, with a focus on the complementarity of bilateral, minilateral and issue-specific cooperation.
Participants highlighted intelligence-sharing, joint exercises, interoperability, logistics and resilient supply chains as key areas of cooperation.
The session also stressed that alliances should contribute beyond deterrence to areas such as humanitarian assistance, disaster response, maritime security and other global public goods.
The third plenary focused on “Defence Industries and Logistics Ecosystems”. It highlighted the strategic importance of resilient defence-industrial capacities and supply chains.
Participants discussed investment in research, science, technology and innovation, including artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities, space systems and unmanned platforms.
Patrick Mariru, Principal Secretary (PS) for the State Department of Defence/HANDOUT
The session also underscored the importance of strengthening domestic production and maintenance capabilities, technology transfer and human-capital development.
Public-private partnerships and the participation of small and medium enterprises in defence-industrial ecosystems were also highlighted.
The Dialogue continues and will conclude on Wednesday, September 9, 2026.
Kenya’s participation provides a platform to engage international partners on emerging security challenges, exchange knowledge and best practices, and explore opportunities for cooperation in defence, technology, innovation, defence industries and logistics.
Through the Ministry of Defence, Kenya remains committed to strengthening strategic defence partnerships and advancing international cooperation.
The Ministry also seeks to embrace innovation and emerging technologies to enhance national resilience, defence capabilities and regional and global security.
Kenya will continue to engage with international partners in pursuit of peace, stability, shared security and a resilient rules-based international order.
