[2] Following the disbanding of the REAN in 1962, the East African Railways and Harbours Corporation assumed control of naval operations in the former colonies until the independent states were ready to establish their own navies.

In late August 1976, during the delivery voyage, the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi was approached to request assistance for two of the patrol boats, off the Somali coast and not having "enough fuel to reach Mombasa.

"[citation needed] In 1972, Major JCJ Kimaro was promoted to lieutenant colonel by President Jomo Kenyatta and appointed as the first commander of the Kenyan Navy.

The Kenya Navy at the turn of the 21st Century took keen interest at developing specialized units within its ranks to handle emerging threats such as terrorism, drug running and piracy.

Members are trained in deep sea diving, beach surveying, explosive ordnance disposal and parachute dropping.

The names of ranks in the Kenya Navy are army-style, rather than traditional Royal Navy-derived usage as in the remainder of the Commonwealth.