Strengthening Partnership: Department of State visits Kenya Navy Base in Manda Bay, Kenya

Photo By Senior Airman Luis Gomez | Frank Garcia, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, left, and Brigadier Lazarus P. Wafula, Kenya Navy Base – Manda Bay, Base Commander, right, walk together at the start of an immersion tour at Manda Bay, Kenya, September 9, 2026. Garcia visited the installation to engage with both Kenyan Defence Forces and U.S. Forces to learn more about their mission and the partnership between the Department of War and Department of State to benefit U.S. - Kenyan security cooperation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Luis Gomez)  

KENYA

09.10.2026

Story by Senior Airman Luis Gomez 

406th Air Expeditionary Wing

Kenya Navy Base and the 475th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron welcomed Frank Garcia, Assistant Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State Bureau of African Affairs, and Susan Burns, Chargé d’Affaires, U.S. Embassy Nairobi, in Manda Bay, Kenya, Sept. 7. 2026, to see firsthand the mission of U.S. Forces and the Kenya Defence Forces.

The visit showcased not just the ironclad U.S. - Kenyan partnership, but also the ongoing 10,000-foot runway expansion project at Manda Bay, which is being financed by the United States. The upgrade will enable enhanced militaryand counter-terroroperations, as well as boost regional security and prosperity. The visit allowed U.S. and Kenyan troops to engage with the Assistant Secretary and Chargé d’Affaires and ask questions.

• Date Taken: 09.10.2026
• Date Posted: 09.10.2026 06:48
• Story ID: 574255
• Location: KE