Why security partnerships are critical

Effective security partnerships between nations are becoming increasingly significant enablers of regional stability. This is especially important as the post-Cold War rules-based order begins to feel increasingly strained.

For instance, the US and Kenya renewed their five-year security cooperation plan in 2023 as part of their Third Bilateral Strategic Dialogue. That continued collaboration will help Kenya to further develop its security infrastructure to meet evolving threats.

Such cooperation is illustrated by the enhanced counterterrorism, maritime surveillance, and intelligence capabilities at Kenya’s Manda Bay military base, in which US investment has played a significant part.

The growing alliance between the US and Kenya in the security domain is one such example. Recent engagements highlight a multifaceted alliance that extends across a range of security components.

Such engagements include joint exercises in countering terrorism in the Horn of Africa and in multilateral cooperation through the Multinational Security Support mission to Haiti.

Kenya’s role in security on the world stage has grown in the past year. At the White House in May 2024, President Joe Biden designated Kenya as a major non-Nato ally, making it the first sub–Saharan African nation to earn the title, according to the BBC.

This status reflects decades of collaboration between the two nations that has deepened US trust in Kenya’s security contributions. Crucially, this included Kenya’s leading role in the Multinational Security Support Mission to Haiti. America’s deepening faith in Kenya’s security contribution was underscored by a pledge of $7 million to support the modernisation of Kenya’s police service, as reported by the UN.

The US-Kenya security alliance provides a pillar of security in East Africa, a region facing ongoing and evolving threats from extremist groups, political instability, and increasing geopolitical competition for its resources. Investment in security, training, and threat identification, provided by the US, the EU, and the UK, is critical to this partnership.

The collaboration will build and maintain diplomatic relationships between Kenya and these key nations, something now being sustained across subsequent administrations, strengthening efforts aimed at improving regional stability.

Security cooperation between Kenya and the US is also positively impacting inter-African security engagement. In May 2025, Kenya co-hosted the African Chiefs of Defence Conference in Nairobi, which brought together 37 senior military leaders from African nations.

The event showcased joint pan-African and US efforts to counter regional threats, bolster maritime surveillance and reinforce African-led security solutions. These capabilities, facilitated by the support of the US and other nations, are helping Kenya establish a regional gold standard in these areas.

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Colonel (Retired) Seth Shisabilu Shava is a graduate of US Airforce fighter weapons school, the USAF Air Command and Staff College and the Kenya National Defense College. He served in the Kenya Airforce for 31 years, becoming a fighter base commander. Later he was attached to UN New York HQ in charge of peace keeping for two years.