Duale Commends the US for vital peacekeeping partnership

Published: January,2024 7:22 PM(EAT)

Cabinet Secretary for Defence Aden Duale has hailed the United States for its pivotal role in advancing peace, security, and stability in the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes Region.

This followed the visit of the US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin III in September 2023.

Duale on Tuesday welcomed General Michael Langley, the Combatant Commander of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), to the Defence Headquarters in Nairobi.

Expressing gratitude, Duale highlighted the strong collaboration between Kenya and the US AFRICOM office, emphasizing the cooperative efforts in counter-terrorism, maritime security, and peace support operations.

“This collaborative effort signifies a commitment to strengthening the partnership between the two nations in addressing regional challenges and fostering global stability,” Duale said.

The Defence boss commended the US Government for its unwavering support in the construction of Kenya’s Counter Insurgency, Terrorism, and Stability Operations (CITSO) Centre, as well as for providing training opportunities for Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) personnel.

“We look forward to nurturing the already robust bonds of friendship between our two nations for the mutual benefit of our citizens,” Duale added.

The CS was accompanied by Principal Secretary Patrick Mariru and Vice Chief of Defence Forces (VCDF) Lieutenant General Jonah Mwangi, along with other senior military officials from both Kenya and the United States.

Kenya and the United States (U.S) have enjoyed long and strategic partnerships with the latter investing heavily in modernizing our security structures and agencies to address emerging threats through intelligence sharing, maritime security, joint training and military assistance through Excess Defence Articles (EDA

According to Duale, the US remains an important and strategic partner to Kenya and the cooperation between the countries continues to broaden to address emerging security challenges.

Last year, the CS observed that the two countries continue to partner in the field of intelligence sharing, maritime security, joint training and military assistance through Excess Defence Articles (EDA).

Kenya and the US also have an active framework for Defence Cooperation running between 2023-2028 for the mutual benefit of the two countries.

Additionally, the two countries continue to interact through national Bilateral Strategic Dialogue (BSD) and biennial ministerial Bilateral Defence Forum (BDF).