The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), in partnership with the United States Government, on conducted a ground-breaking ceremony for a 10,000-foot Runway Expansion Project at the Kenya Navy Base in Manda Bay, Lamu County, marking a major milestone in bilateral defence cooperation.
Presiding over the ceremony were Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Hon. Musalia Mudavadi, alongside the United States Deputy Secretary of State, Mr. Christopher Thomas Landau, and Hon. Roselinda Soipan Tuya, the Cabinet Secretary for Defence.
Speaking during the event, Hon. Musalia Mudavadi underscored the strategic and symbolic importance of the partnership between Kenya and United States, stating that the runway expansion is a critical investment anchored on security, reliability and long-term stability.
He said that the project is expected to stimulate economic growth in Lamu County and nationally, improve livelihoods and enhance the prospects of the Lamu Port, South Sudan, Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor, positioning the regions as a major hub for trade and development.
Mr. Landau applauded the Kenyan Government for its continued collaboration with the United States, describing the project as a tangible demonstration of the enduring bilateral relationship between the two nations.
He also noted that the capability of the expanded runway will aid in strengthening security cooperation, enhancing joint operational reach and supporting sustained economic growth in the region.
In her remarks, Defence Cabinet Secretary Roselinda Soipan Tuya described the Manda Bay One-Way Runway Expansion Project as a decisive force multiplier for Kenya-US defence cooperation.
She emphasized that the expanded runway will significantly strengthen regional peace and security by enhancing rapid response, surveillance, and joint operational capability against piracy, human trafficking, and threats to maritime trade, highlighting the two nations’ firm and enduring commitment to regional stability.
The runway expansion is a strategic capability upgrade that is set to improve heavy airlift capacity, forward logistics sustainment, and rapid force projection for joint and partner military operations, and therefore reinforcing readiness and interoperability across peacetime and contingency operations.
Also in attendance were the Commander of United States Africa Command, General Dagvin Anderson; Kenya Airforce Commander Major General Benard Waliaula; Kenya Navy Commander Major General Paul Otieno; and other senior military and government officials.
