Six years after an Al-Shabaab attack exposed vulnerabilities at the Manda Bay military base in Lamu, Kenyan and US forces have conducted their first ever multi-unit joint exercise involving the defence of the entire facility.
The August 27 exercise, which was made public over the weekend, brought together Kenya Defence Forces and US military personnel to rehearse responses to threats ranging from suspicious activity and mortar attacks to explosive hazards, fires and medical emergencies, according to the US Africa Command.
The exercise comes as the US continues to invest in infrastructure at Manda Bay, including an expansion of the airfield, to enhance the facility's continuing role in American counterterrorism operations in East Africa.
Members from the Kenyan Defence Force render simulated medical aid to US Air Force Airman 1st Class Dominique Wooten, 475th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron Mission Support Flight radio transmissions systems journeyman, during a joint US-Kenyan base defense exercise at Manda Bay, Kenya, August 27, 2026.
Photo credit: Courtesy of US Army
The landmark drill represents the first complete, cross-functional integration of combined forces at the base, bringing together personnel from all branches of the KDF incorporating Kenya Army, Kenya Air Force and Kenya Navy, alongside the US Army and US Air Force. This was different from unit-level exercises that often involve one military unit practicing how to respond to attacks.
Sources in the military said the drill, officially known as Base Defense Exercise (BDEX), is a common, critical training operation used in military environments with the key objective being to prepare forces for fully protecting military installations.
It is designated to validate things like an installation’s defense capabilities, testing the coordination, emergency responses and medical aid competences of the personnel stationed at a particular base.
“For Manda Bay, it was executed for the first time in history. You know it isn’t a joke to have a complete cross-functional integration of combined forces, including members from all branches of KDF done successfully simultaneously like that. All this is in effort to ensure the continuation of operations during a simulated threat,” a KDF insider who requested anonymity for lacking authorisation to comment on the matter said.
The official further explained that the exercise was necessary because the facility has continued to undergo expansion.
In 2021, former President Uhuru Kenyatta presented presidential and regimental colours to the Manda Base, making it the second after the Mtongwe base in Mombasa County. Over the years, the base has grown to include an all-weather airstrip with night landing capability and a 1.3km runway.
US Air Force Master. Sgt. Brian Jones, 475th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron Explosive Ordnance Device team leader, with members of the Kenyan Defence Forces during a joint US-Kenyan base defense exercise at Manda Bay, Kenya, August 27, 2026.
Photo credit: Courtesy of US Army
In 2024, during a state visit to the US, President William Ruto signed a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with the US aimed at expanding the Manda Bay airfield. The agreement, signed at the Pentagon in May 2024, was framed as a strategic enhancement of military cooperation.
“With the status that Manda Bay military base has, it’s appropriate that our officers remain hands-on. Execution of exercises like BDEX are meant to ensure officers are alert to this place and beyond so as to attain regional stability and preserve counter-terrorism power projection across East Africa,” added the officer.
A security analyst said the major infrastructure milestones undertaken in the at the base require that officers can align with its status.
“The timing responds directly to shifting regional security dynamics, ensuring both nations, Kenya and US, can seamlessly project power and protect critical intelligence and surveillance assets in this place,” he said.
US Air Force Master. Sgt. Brian Jones, 475th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron Explosive Ordnance Device team leader, operates a explosives hazards robot during a joint US-Kenyan base defense exercise at Manda Bay, Kenya, August 27, 2026.
Photo credit: Courtesy of US Army
In a statement, United States Africa Command stated that the exercises tested the combined ability to detect and counter threats, ensuring successful counter-terrorism operations across East Africa.
“We both want the same thing: the protection of this area, of Kenya, and to defeat the enemy. Think of a rope that has multiple strands; the stronger we are combined, the stronger we are overall,” said Christian Wheeler from Task Force Seminole Security Force operations, the US Army unit responsible for security at the facility.
He explained that the combined effort gave soldiers an opportunity to learn from each other and identify any areas where there could be improvement, ensuring that in a real-world scenario, the Kenyan – US partnership is ready to defend the installation.
The Manda base was established in 1992 and officially inaugurated in 1995 to provide logistical support to the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) units stationed in Northern Kenya and Kismayu, Somalia. It is used by US armed forces to provide training and counterterrorism support to East African partners, respond to crises, and protect US interests in the region.
In the January 5, 2020 pre-dawn attack, Al-Shabaab terrorists killed a US soldier and two US Department of Defense contractors. Two other US service members and a third contractor were wounded.
