This archive report was first published on 27 August 2019.
On August 26, 2019, the 9th African Air Chiefs symposium kicked off in Nairobi, Kenya, marking the first time the event was held in the country. The four-day symposium, organized by the Association of African Air Chiefs, brought together top air force officers from 38 African countries to exchange best practices and address challenges facing air forces.
Defence Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo emphasized the importance of airpower in every nation, stating that forums like the symposium provide opportunities to share best practices and improve airpower capabilities. "Forums such as these, therefore, provide opportunities to share best practices and in the process help us improve our individual and collective airpower capabilities," she said.
Kenya Air Force Commander Major General Francis Ogolla highlighted budgetary allocations and poor technological capacity as key challenges facing African air forces. He noted that operating an air force is a costly venture, with budgetary allocation being a significant challenge.
United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) Commander Jeffrey Harrigian stressed the importance of building trust in operations across the continent, stating that the symposium was crucial in achieving this goal. "Together we stand shoulder to shoulder to assist each other in bringing stability and security to the region," he said.
Omamo also urged stakeholders to find a permanent solution to end security threats posed by drones, describing them as a "double-edged sword" with immense benefits and security risks. She emphasized the need to find solutions to deal with the threat aspect of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
Major General Ogolla assured that the thorny issues that had made Parliament reject approval of the new drone regulations twice had been addressed, and fresh regulations would be presented to Parliament in the coming weeks.
