Britain and Kenya on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the arrest, transfer and prosecution of Somali pirates detained by British naval vessels.
"This MoU is very important," said Britain's under-secretary of state for security and counter-terrorism, Lord West of Spithead, on the sidelines of an international conference on combating Somali maritime piracy.
"Kenya is a step ahead of the rest in doing this," the retired admiral told reporters.
"This fits in well with the EU force that has just been established," he added.
The deal will provide legal support for Britain to hand over to Kenya suspected pirates whom its naval fleet may detain during operations in the Gulf of Aden or Indian Ocean.
On November 18, the British navy handed over eight suspected pirates captured a week earlier during an incident at sea.
They are now facing trial in the Kenyan port of Mombasa.
According to AFP, resident magistrate Lilian Mtende denied the eight bail on Thursday and said more time was needed to study their case, which will next be heard on January 14.
The absence of a legal framework allowing for tight cooperation between the nations represented in the naval coalitions patrolling pirate-infested zones and coastal nations had been one of the main obstacls to tougher action.
Providing a broader agreement between coalition countries and coastal nations such as Kenya, Tanzania, Djibouti and Yemen is one of the main proposals on the agenda at the Nairobi conference.
The 140 delegates taking part in the two-day meeting have been discussing a document drafted by the UN Office for Drugs and Crime which proposes a six-month $1,3-million programme for enhanced legal co-operation.
Speaking during the conference, vice president Kalonzo Musyoka said the international community should strive to establish coordinated and cohesive responses so as to attain lasting peace and stability in the war torn country.
"There is need for the international community to pursue greater engagement with Somalia if the war against piracy is to be realized," he said.
The conference comes amid disturbing statistics in pirates' attacks along the Gulf of Aden which has in turn threatened the lifeline, safety and freedom of global commerce.
Musyoka described the crisis as an international problem and called for the formulation of practical and effective measures to combat the vice.
He said the Kenyan government remains committed in the fight against piracy in line with the convention for the suppression of unlawful acts against maritime navigation.
"Piracy has hindered the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance to millions of desperate people and there is need for the deployment of a UN peacekeeping force to beef the African Union mission in Somalia," he said.
His sentiments were also echoed by Ahmedo Abdallah, the UN special representative for Somalia who said the commitment of Somalis and the political and cultural elites remains essential to the rebirth of Somalia.
Foreign affairs minister Moses Wetangula decried the lack of a structured legal framework to handle piracy.
The two day event had brought together over 140 representatives from 35 countries to discuss fundamental issues touching on piracy including the legal framework, enforcement action, capacity building, commercial and financial implications.
