By Col (retired) Seth Shava
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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Kenya’s policing mission in Haiti is also a testament to Nairobi’s increasing readiness to take a leading role in response to global security challenges. The US has pushed to transition the Kenyan-led force into a UN peacekeeping mission, though its proposal faces resistance from Russia and China.
So far, however, the financial and resource support from the US has helped the Kenyan mission in Haiti to pursue its goal and work towards fulfilling its mandate as the leading nation in the multinational security operation.
The positive track record in security assistance does not mean the partnership exists in perpetuity – these alliances require work to maintain. Already, some members of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee have made calls to review Kenya’s Major Non-NATO Ally status. This would be a major blow to Kenya’s growing stature in the realm of international security.
There is much at stake here – for both Kenya and the US.  With conflicts running across the continent, from the Red Sea to the Sahel, reshaping trade routes and fuelling extremism, the US should continue to double down on its existing relationship with Kenya.
As a reliable partner with a growing track record in security matters, Kenya is becoming a regional leader in counter terrorism, intelligence sharing and maritime security. For Kenya, a rules based security alliance with the US, grounded in governance reforms and shared regional objectives, offers Kenya a clear path towards increased stability and prosperity and shields it from the malign influence of other powers.
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.
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