After Djibouti, US Secretary of Defence lands in Kenya

NAIROBI, Kenya - Lloyd Austin landed in Nairobi on Monday afternoon ahead of bilateral engagements with his Kenyan counterpart Aden Duale, with the two senior ministers also expected to sign a Defence Agreement that will bolster security in East Africa and the Horn of Africa.

At Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Lloyd Austin III was ushered in by Duale and senior officers from the Department of Defence, led by Chief of Defense Forces of the Republic of Kenya Gen. Francis Ogolla. Gen. Ogolla was appointed to the post in April this year by President William Ruto.

In Kenya, Austin is set to discuss regional challenges with security teams besides embarking on strengthening defense cooperation with the East African nation, which houses the US Naval Base at Manda Bay, in the troubled county of Lamu.

"Kenya and the United States are proud partners in the effort to combat terrorism and advance democracy," said Lloyd Austin III, who left Djibouti where he held discussions with President Ismail Omar Guelleh and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia.

"This visit underscores the importance of our bilateral defense relationship as we work together to address regional challenges," he added while emphasizing the importance of the trip to Africa which will culminate in Luanda, the capital of Angola, a Portuguese colony in Central Africa.

The United States has been a key military partner of Kenya through its close cooperation in the fight against Al-Shabaab. When former US President Donald Trump authorized the withdrawal of US Africa Command troops from Somalia, a number of them were repositioned in Kenya.

After their redeployment last year, quite a number also remained in Northeastern Kenya where they are working closely with KDF soldiers along the Kenya-Somalia border. Others are stationed in Manda Bay Naval Base, which was attacked by Al-Shabaab militants in 2023, leaving three people among them a soldier, dead.

The East African nation has been fighting Al-Shabaab militants for the last 12 years and was forced to send troops to neighboring Somalia. Duale, who has been keen on stability in Somalia, said Kenya will invest modern weapons in KDF to help diffuse Al-Shabaab threats.

In Somalia, the US has been a key partner in the fight against the Al-Qaeda-linked group, training and equipping the Danab Special Forces, a contingent of the Somali National Army [SNA]. The US Africa Command also provides aerial surveillance to combat troops during operations in Somalia.

GAROWE ONLINE