The United States has initiated a $70-million runway expansion project at Kenya's Manda Bay military base, located near the Somali border. This development aims to bolster counter-terrorism efforts in the Horn of Africa.

• The expansion seeks to boost counter-terrorism operations against the Al-Qaeda-linked extremist group Al-Shabaab.
• In 2024, former president Joe Biden announced intentions to designate Kenya as the first major non-NATO ally in sub-Saharan Africa.
• US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau highlighted the project as a "very tangible commitment" to the common defense between the United States and Kenya.
• In 2020, three American citizens were killed when Al-Shabaab attacked Camp Simba, part of the Manda Bay base.
• Landau also commended Kenya's contribution to "international stability" through its leadership in the United Nations-supported mission in Haiti.