Kenya, US Reinforce Defence Ties as USAFRICOM Deputy Visits Nairobi
By Chemtai Kirui
Nairobi, Feb 6 — The country and the United States reaffirmed defence cooperation this week after the Deputy Commander of the United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM) held talks in Nairobi with senior military leaders on regional security and joint operations.
Chief of the Defence Forces General Charles Kahariri met on Wednesday with Lieutenant General J. Brennan, the Deputy Commander of the United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM), during the US official’s first visit to Nairobi, defence sources said.
The talks focused on regional stability, peacekeeping and military capacity building.
General Kahariri welcomed the visit, reaffirming the military’s commitment to working with USAFRICOM and other strategic partners to advance peace and security across the continent.
Discussions covered counter-terrorism cooperation, joint training programs and efforts to strengthen interoperability between the two forces.
The visit builds on a series of high-level military engagements between Nairobi and Washington, including regular consultations on counter-terrorism operations and joint training exercises.
Senior USAFRICOM commanders have visited Nairobi in recent years for bilateral planning talks aimed at strengthening regional security and military readiness.
The partnership has included joint military exercises and infrastructure development aimed at supporting regional operations.
One such project is the expansion of facilities at Manda Bay airfield in Lamu County, which officials have said is intended to improve logistics and operational support for joint missions.
Security analysts say cooperation with the United States has focused on improving the military’s capacity to address transnational threats, including violent extremist activity, while supporting regional peace and security efforts in the Horn of Africa.
