French language training for Kenya Navy cadets and Kenyan coastguards in Mombasa [fr]
The Honorary Consul of France and President of the Alliance française de Mombasa, Mr. Muhammed Ramazani, and the director of the Alliance française Lucas Malcor, were invited on board the Bâtiment de Soutien et d’Appui Outre-mer (BSAOM) "Le Champlain", by the Defence Attaché in Kenya, Lieutenant-Colonel Denis Brisset, and the "Pacha" of the ship stationed in La Réunion, Corvette Captain Sylvain Nicollet, during its stopover in Mombasa from 21 to 26 February 2024.
The official dinner offered on board provided an opportunity for rich exchanges with representatives of the Kenya Navy and the Kenya Coast Guards Service, particularly in the area of French language training provided by the Alliance française.
The Commandant of the Kenya Naval Training College (KNTC), Lieutenant Colonel Makunda, and the Navy liaison officer appointed for the occasion, Major Liam Masha, expressed their great satisfaction with the French courses given by teachers from the Alliance française de Mombasa for several years now for the benefit of Navy cadets.
Funded by the Directorate of Security and Defence Cooperation (DCSD) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Europe (MEAE) since 2020, this major language training programme provided by the teaching team at the Alliance Française de Mombasa prepares 20 Navy cadets and personnel each year for language levels A1 and A2.
The system for teaching French in the Kenyan military meets a real need, and offers Kenyan servicemen and women training and career opportunities. The strategic logic of the Indian Ocean, and the possibility of stopovers in Réunion, Mayotte, the Comoros and even Madagascar, means that the Kenyan navy needs to practise the French language.
With this in mind, the KCGS representative, Lieutenant Commander K.Kimondo, also confirmed French language training for a group of around ten coastguards,which will be trialled in 2024.
In Nairobi, a similar programme exists for the benefit of all Kenya Defence Forces, within the Defense Forces School of Education and Languages (DEFSEL), a Kenyan military language school located at Langata Barracks. Every year, more than 90 military personnel of all ranks and from all armies are prepared for levels A1 to B2 by the school’s Kenyan military French teachers and a French teacher (lectrice Français Langue Etrangère) from the French Embassy’s defence mission.
The stopover of the "Champlain" also provided an opportunity for exchanges and outreach with the Kenyan youth of Mombasa, offering pupils from several local schools the opportunity to visit the French ship and interact with its sailors.
