The United States has begun a $70‑million runway expansion at the Manda Bay airbase in Lamu County, near the Somalia border, to strengthen counter‑terrorism operations in the Horn of Africa.
The base, used jointly by the Kenya Defence Forces and US forces, has long been a strategic hub in the fight against Al‑Shabaab.
During the groundbreaking, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said the expansion is “a very tangible commitment” to joint defence, adding that it sends a strong message to adversaries.
The base has seen deadly attacks in the past, including a 2020 Al‑Shabaab assault that killed three American citizens.
