The United States has commenced a $70 million runway expansion project at a military base in coastal Kenya, in a move aimed at strengthening its counter-terrorism operations in Africa.
The project is taking place at Manda Bay Airbase in Lamu County, a Kenya Defence Forces facility that hosts US troops and serves as a strategic operational hub in efforts to combat Al-Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group active in Somalia and across parts of East Africa.
The runway upgrade comes amid deepening security cooperation between Washington and Nairobi, following the United States’ 2024 designation of Kenya as its first major non-NATO ally in sub-Saharan Africa.
The status has expanded defence and diplomatic engagement between both countries, though it does not amount to a formal security treaty.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said the expansion reflects the shared determination of both nations to prevent attacks and protect mutual interests.
“We have to show those who would attack us that we are resolved to defend ourselves,” Landau said, describing the base as a clear symbol of joint defence efforts.
During his three-day visit to Kenya, Landau also commended the country’s role in global security, particularly its leadership of the United Nations-backed multinational mission in Haiti.
He noted that Kenya has played a key role in deploying forces and supporting plans for a fresh gang-suppression operation aimed at restoring stability and assisting Haiti’s national police, as gang violence continues to affect large parts of the Caribbean nation.
