The United States Africa Command (US AFRICOM) has donated personal protective equipment worth over Ksh.220 million ($1.38 million) to the Kenyan Defence Forces (KDF).
The handover ceremony took place at the Kahawa Barracks in Nairobi on Tuesday, and it included 6,730 pieces of state-of-the-art equipment. These include soft body armor, ballistic helmets designed to shield against small arms fire, and ballistic plates engineered to withstand heavier ammunition.
The equipment is poised to enhance the safety capabilities of KDF service personnel as they actively engage in their ongoing counterterrorism and peacekeeping operations.
Addressing the gathering, Major General Juma Mwinyika, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Eastern Command, expressed optimism that the donation will significantly support the Kenyan military in fulfilling their essential mandates.
“I can’t overemphasize the goodwill that is here in this partnership. What is left is for us at the tactical and operational level is to do much more. At strategic level, we have good support from the United States,” he said.
Major General Kenneth Ekman from U.S. AFRICOM, on his part, highlighted that the grant underscores the United States’ commitment to bolster the security efforts of its international partners.
“We’re honored to be able to fulfill one of the Kenya Defence Forces’ priority requests to U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during his recent historic visit in September 2023, the first visit to Kenya by a U.S. Secretary of Defense in 47 years,” Ekman said.
The U.S. reiterated its commitment to continuing collaborative efforts with its African partners to advance security, prosperity, and the well-being of people across the continent.
