Kenya and U.S. Begin $70 million Runway Expansion at Manda Bay Military Base

Kenya

Kenyan and American officials broke ground on a major expansion of the Manda Bay military base in Lamu County, launching a roughly KSh9 billion ($70 million) project to construct a new 10,000-foot runway and modernize airfield infrastructure. Officials said this would deepen bilateral security cooperation and enhance regional stability.

The ceremony at the coastal installation, a strategic facility near the border with Somalia long used by the Kenya Defence Forces and U.S. Africa Command, was attended by Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Thomas Landau and Defence Cabinet Secretary Roselinda Soipan Tuya.

Mr. Mudavadi called the project a symbol of “enduring partnership,” saying the expanded runway and upgraded facilities would bolster capabilities “for rapid response, surveillance and joint operations” against security threats that include piracy, human trafficking and the al-Shabaab militant group.

The current airfield, built more than three decades ago, has a shorter runway suited to smaller aircraft. The new 3.5-kilometer runway is designed to accommodate larger military transport and fighter aircraft, extending the base’s operational reach for both nations’ forces.

The U.S. State Department is financing a significant portion of the work, part of a broader effort to deepen defense ties with Kenya, which was designated in 2024 as a major non-NATO ally by the United States, a status that reflects growing strategic cooperation without a formal defense treaty.

Officials said the enhanced airfield would support not only security operations but also humanitarian and logistics missions across East Africa. U.S. Africa Command leaders noted that improved infrastructure would strengthen interoperability and the joint capacity to deter and respond to threats.

The expansion underscores Manda Bay’s role in the long campaign against al-Shabaab and other extremist groups in the Horn of Africa, and follows international concern over past attacks at the base and nearby Camp Simba, where U.S. troops have been stationed for years.

Kenyan authorities also emphasized potential economic benefits for Lamu County and the broader region, linking improved security infrastructure to broader development initiatives such as the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor.

Completion of the runway and supporting facilities is expected by mid-2027, with planners saying the upgraded base could play a central role in future regional security and disaster response efforts.