National Defence University of Kenya (NDU-K) Courses, Requirements & Colleges

THE NATIONAL DEFENCE COLLEGE

The National Defence College (NDC) is pitched at strategic level and is KDF’s highest defence training institution. It is mandated to conduct a pre-eminent course in national security and strategy. It prepares selected senior defence officers and the equivalent senior civil servants of the Republic of Kenya and their counterparts from allied countries for higher responsibilities in the direction and management of national security and the related areas of public administration. As a college of NDU-K, NDC shall offer a Master’s Degree in National Security and Strategy at the Karen Campus, Nairobi.

The programme is tailored to analyse Kenya’s national interests and national security issues via scholarly approach. This will continue to enhance Multi-Agency Cooperation (MAC) and Whole-of-Government Approach (WoGA) in addressing national security challenges. The college, therefore, equips leaders from defence, public sector and allied countries with analytical and innovative skills focusing on policy and strategy from a national,

regional and international security perspective. Ultimately, this will influence policy and decision-making on topical issues thereby informing grand strategy.The College, is charged with the responsibility of developing and improving the intellectual capacity of senior military and government officials on broader dimension of national security issues in order to think globally and act nationally. Today national security is no longer viewed through military lenses, but has expanded to a multi-dimensional facet in meaning. In its widest sense it is the “defence against challenges to a nation’s vital security interests” since security threats from within are increasingly becoming a feature of developing nation-states, especially in Africa.

This is evidenced by the current number of conflicts and civil wars raging in the Continent culminating into “Failed States” Threat perception and security concerns of any nation-state therefore encompasses the broader dimension of socio-political, economic, technological, military and environment issues. In this regard, threats to a nation’s economic, social and political fabric may prove to be greater challenge to many nations in the region than those external. The identification and timely solutions of these challenges is therefore of great significance to the national security of any state and requires the orchestration of all the national instruments of power: political, economic, and military within the nation-state. To do this, National Defence College is an essential tool to contribute in the analysis of such challenges.

Again, events leading to the end of the cold war and the collapse of the bipolar world ushered in anxiety and fear of the unknown in the developing world. In this New World Order, our notion of security, national sovereignty, economic development have and still will constantly face challenges and threats. Africa remains and still will remain in the foreseeable future vulnerable to, ethnic, religious and communal conflicts orchestrated by underdevelopment.

This is in addition to emerging global threats of proliferation of small arms and light weapons, terrorism, illicit drugs, cyber and cross border crimes to name but a few. In the last decade our country; Kenya became a home for a large refugee population with its adverse impact on security, economy, environment and the society, thus creating an environment that challenged our national capacity. National Defence College was therefore found necessary to analyze such security challenges and advance possible policy response, strategies and solutions.

VISIT WEBSITE

The Joint Command and Staff College (JCSC) trains middle level officers in defence and strategy at the operational level. The college develops professional knowledge and skills and prepares its students for advanced responsibilities in command and staff. Students are offered defence and academic modules to equip them with the capacity to adapt and navigate the evolving, complex and ambiguous security environment. Upon completing the academic module, the participants are awarded a Postgraduate Diploma or Diploma certificate in Defence and Strategic Studies, depending on individual entry level. The academic module exposes the learners to national, regional and international security dynamics that impact Kenya’s national interests. Hence, NDU-K will enhance the capacity for training, academic studies and research necessary for understanding, analysing and providing solutions to contemporary security challenges.

Through the JCSC, the University will train mid-level officers in defence and strategy at the operational level. The college develops professional knowledge, skills and understanding of middle-level officers and prepares them for advanced or complex responsibilities in command and staff. Students are taken through military and academic modules that prepare them to have the capacity to be adaptable to navigate the increasingly evolving, complex and ambiguous security environment.

Upon completing the academic module, the participants are awarded a Postgraduate Diploma or Diploma certificate in Defence and Strategic Studies, depending on their entry levels

The academic module exposes the officers to national, regional and international security dynamics that impact Kenya’s national interests. To this end, NDU-K will provide the officers with the academic platform to undertake studies and research to equip course participants with the intellectual attributes necessary for understanding, critically analysing and providing effective solutions to contemporary security challenges.

The University will ensure that JCSC produces well-trained graduates who are mission ready and serve in various capacities in Command and Staff responsibilities.

Academy is a college of the National Defence University-Kenya (NDU-K). It is a Premier institution for basic foundational military Officer training and intellectual development. The Academy is responsible for training Cadets for commissioning as Officers. In the NDU-K programme, the course content will lead to a Cadet attainment of Bachelors of Science in Defence & Security Studies upon successful graduation.

Academy is a Centre of Excellence, charged with the mandate of providing value based foundational military leadership or officer training, education and inspiration to selected Kenyan and allied Cadets, to attain excellence in the profession of arms.

To be a centre of excellence for foundational military officer training and education.

To provide foundational officer training, intellectual and character development to cadets in order to prepare them for Leadership, Command, and Inspiration to attain professional military.

loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honour, Integrity, and Personal Courage.

In order to achieve its Mission, the Academy is organized into Academy Headquarters, Officer Cadet School, Faculty of Academic Studies, Department of Research, Standards, Character Development, Centre of Excellence in Coaching and Mentorship and Academy Admin wing.

Cadet training is focused to harness and integrate all Kenya Defence Force’s Conceptual or Intellectual Component which provides the knowledge to fight, the Physical Component which provides the means to fight; and the Moral Component which provides the will to fight in the pursuit of professional excellence for success in the battle field.

International Peace Support Training Centre (IPSTC) was established in January 2001 as part of the Kenyan Defence Staff College. It initially focused at training of Kenyan forces for UN peace keeping missions and later African Union Peace Support Operations. PSTC became a separate Kenyan MOSD establishment in July 2006 and in 2008, initial efforts towards “internationalization” were made. In 2009, PSTC Karen merged with International Mine Action Training Centre (IMATC) to form one centre, International Peace Support Training Centre (IPSTC). The former PSTC was renamed to Peace and Conflict Studies School (PCSS) and IMATC renamed to Humanitarian Peace Support School (HPSS). In 2011, IPSTC achieved autonomy through formal partnership arrangements with USA, UK, Canada, Japan, Kenya, Germany and UNDP.

Under the umbrella of NDU-K, the Centre’s Postgraduate School aspires to achieve excellence in education and research in peace, security, disaster management, crisis response, gender inclusivity, conflict stabilisation, and development of society. The institution will admit learners from the security sector and civilians into its programmes to enable multi-agency and multidimensional approach to management of modern-day complex emergencies, crises and security challenges.

Notably, countries in different regions of the world are experiencing crises and emergencies that threaten internal security, which sometimes spills over to pose regional security threats. Thus, crisis response and disaster management are key components of national security. For instance, crises and disasters requiring coordinated interagency expert intervention are common in Kenya and the Horn of Africa.

Under NDU-K, the Centre will initially offer a Master’s Degree in Crisis Response and Disaster Management with additional programmes earmarked for roll-out in the near future. This programme is tailored to produce innovative practitioners with capacity to provide leadership in complex emergency situations. Additionally, it will provide a basis for specialised higher training to enable conceptualisation and mitigation of current and emerging challenges in crisis response and disaster management. The programme will address the existing knowledge gap by incorporating practical aspects through simulation and field training.

Defence Forces Technical College (DEFTEC) is a premier institution located at Embakasi Garrison with a mission to train Technical and Information Technology manpower, conduct Research and development for the Kenya Defence Forces, support and sustain industrialization strategy. Under that mission, the college has produced over Ten Thousand Six Hundred (10,600) competitive graduates in Engineering and Information Technology fields. They have been vital in the Units in maintaining and servicing of Land, Air and Maritime-based KDF assets and systems. Information Technology (IT) graduates have also been instrumental in the design, development, installation, operation and maintenance of different systems within KDF. The college has also been able to conduct limited research on various fields.

On 27 May 2021, the National Defence University–Kenya (NDU-K) was granted a Charter and DEFTEC became one of the Colleges of the University. Through the NDU-K, the College is expected to form a fundamental Technological base to support and sustain National Industrialization Strategy. Further, expectation from the College is expanded by the Universities Act No.42 of 2012, that it will conduct research and disseminate the outcomes to the general public with the objective of making a contribution to the social and economic development in the country in addition to giving quality academic training.

The college endevours to develop postgraduate diploma in Armament Technology, BSc in Aaeronautical Engineering (Airframes and Engines option, Avionics option), BSc in Mechatronics, BSc in Marine Engineering and BSc in Information Technology for Defence Systems. Further, the College intends to develop MTech in Weapons in Engineering, MSc in Aeronautical Engineering and MSc in Information Tecnology for Defence Systems.

The College aspires to establish a formidable Research, Design and Development outfit which matches the expectations contained in the National Security Industrialization Policy Implementation Strategy and the identifed priority industrial sectors namely; National Security Food Industry, Arms and Ammunition, Apparels Manufacture, Automative Manufacture and Assembly, Aeronautics and Space Engineering, Marine Engineering, General Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, Information and Communication Engineering, Medical Engineering, Construction Engineering and Petroleum and Petrochemical Engineering.

Defence College of Health Sciences is a College of National Defence University-Kenya, having been adopted by the University senate on 22 December 2021 and a subsequent University meeting held on 20 January 2022. The College was established as Armed Forces Medical Training School in 1991 to train basic medical skills to the troops. In 2012, the college changed name to Defence Forces Medical Training School and accredited to provide diploma training in Kenya Registered Community Health Nursing. In 2022, the college changed name to Defence College of health Sciences with an additional mandate to offers degree courses that enhance health security in promotion of national security.

The College endeavors to take a leading role in the training of professionals who are well equipped with solid scientific knowledge, diverse skills and positive attitudes to enable them function in a challenging security environment

The College programs aim at providing highly skilled and competent resourceful medical practitioners who will provide health care in dynamic and challenging security environment. The graduates are empowered to approach health issues with a holistic global perspective and critically analyze problems with a view to provide preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative healthcare services to the military personnel and allied partners.

The National Intelligence and Research University College is established under Legal Notice No 96 of 2021 as a Constituent College of NDU-K. The institution focuses on intelligence studies and research on complex security threats in order to protect national and regional interests. Within the 5-year period projected in this Strategic Plan, NIRUC will focus on establishing a leading intelligence training and action-oriented research institution regionally and beyond.

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS FOR MASTER OF ARTS IN CRISIS RESPONSE AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT.

Call for Applications for Master of Arts in Crisis Response and Disaster Management.

To apply, click on this link- http://admissions.ipstc.org/