The United States military’s Africa Command (U.S AFRICOM) has donated personal protective equipment valued at over Ksh.220 million ($1.38 million) to the Kenyan Defence Forces (KDF).
The donation, handed over at the Kahawa Barracks in Nairobi on Tuesday, includes 6,730 pieces of state-of-the-art equipment which include soft body armor, ballistic helmets designed to protect against small arms fire, and ballistic plates designed to withstand heavier ammunition.
The equipment is set to bolster the safety capabilities of the KDF service personnel during their ongoing counterterrorism and peacekeeping operations.
Speaking at the event, Eastern Command General Officer Commanding (GOC) Major General Juma Mwinyika expressed optimism that the donation will aid the military’s efforts to undertake their key 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.
On his part, Major General Kenneth Ekman from U.S. AFRICOM said that the grant amplifies the United States’ commitment to support 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,” he said.
The US has reaffirmed that it will remain committed to working collaboratively with its African partners to promote security, prosperity, and the well-being of people across the continent.
