Trending 
The United States has begun a $70 million runway expansion at a military base in coastal Kenya, reinforcing its counter-terrorism footprint in Africa.
The project is underway at Manda Bay airbase in Lamu County, a Kenya Defence Forces facility that hosts US troops and serves as a key operational centre against Al-Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group active in Somalia and the wider region.
The expansion follows Washington’s 2024 designation of Kenya as its first major non-North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) ally in sub-Saharan Africa, a move that deepened defence and diplomatic cooperation without a formal security treaty.
Speaking at the project’s groundbreaking on Thursday, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said the upgrade showcased both countries’ resolve to deter attacks and protect shared interests.
He described the base as a concrete symbol of joint defence efforts and a clear message to hostile actors.
“We have to show those who would attack us that we are resolved to defend ourselves,” he said.
During his three-day visit, Landau also praised Kenya’s role in international security efforts, particularly its leadership of the United Nations-backed mission in Haiti.
He stated that Kenya had played a central role in deploying forces and planning a new gang-suppression operation aimed at restoring order and supporting Haiti’s national police.
Kenya currently leads the multinational mission seeking to curb gang violence that has overwhelmed large parts of the Caribbean nation.
