Ambassador Mary Carlin Yates concluded the second day of a two-day visit to Nairobi May 4, 2009 with visits to the International Peace Support Training Centre and the Kenyan National Defence College.

Yates was welcomed in the morning at the International Peace Support Training Centre by Canadian Major Steeves and Kenyan Lieutenant Colonel Kombo who presented an overview of the centre's mission, organization and curriculum.

Established in January 2001 as part of the Kenyan Defence Staff College, the centre became a separate establishment in July 2006. The centre's academic program is comprised of two platforms: the Peace and Conflict Studies School (PCSS) and the Humanitarian Peace Support School (HPSS). Its mission is to conduct training and education of military, civilian, and police personnel in order to build security capacity in the East Africa region.

PCSS curriculum includes courses on conflict prevention, conflict management, and post-conflict recovery; HPSS curriculum includes mine action and disarmament, peace support operations pre-deployment, and disaster management.

Student composition includes approximately 60 percent of students from East Africa, 30 percent from across Africa, and 10 percent international.

The centre expects to grow to full organizational capacity by 2010.

In commemoration of the Ambassador's visit, the morning's events concluded with a tree-planting ceremony organized by members of the Kenyan military.

In the early afternoon, Yates presented an overview briefing of the command to students at the Kenyan National Defence College, an event hosted by General J.M. Mutwi of the Kenyan Armed Forces. The current class is comprised of students from 12 African nations, as well as a student from Germany. In addition to their academic curriculum, students participate in three sessions of academic-related travel to destinations in Kenya, throughout the region, and outside of Africa.

The 45-minute briefing was followed by a robust question and answer session where students queried the Ambassador on subjects ranging from the current security situation in Somalia and Sudan, the command's relationship with Egypt, and the command's mission and activities.

The visit to the college concluded with an informal tea ceremony on the lawn.

Yates was in Kenya to meet with senior Kenyan military officials to discuss issues of mutual importance and to address possible venues for future military cooperation.