The United States on Thursday (January 29) broke ground on a planned expansion of the Manda Bay military base in Kenya’s Lamu County, deepening security cooperation with a key regional ally as Washington seeks to strengthen counter‑terrorism and maritime operations along the Horn of Africa.
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau presided over the ceremony alongside US Africa Command (AFRICOM) Commander General Dagvin Anderson, marking the start of a major infrastructure project estimated to cost about $70 million ( Sh9.049 billion), according to Kenyan and US officials. The groundbreaking coincided with Landau’s visit to Nairobi, where he held talks on defence cooperation, commercial ties and regional stability.
The expansion — centred on extending and modernising the Manda Bay runway — is being described by both governments as a strategic investment to boost counter‑terrorism readiness.
Manda Bay, a Kenya Defence Forces site that also hosts US troops, has long served as a forward operating location for operations targeting extremist groups in Somalia and the wider region. It has also been the target of militant attacks.
According to US officials, the runway expansion will bolster joint operational readiness and improve logistics by enabling larger aircraft to operate from the coastal outpost, which sits near key Indian Ocean maritime routes.
The United States and Kenya are expected to announce additional defence cooperation measures during Landau’s visit.
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