United States and Kenya to strengthen security partnership: Rohling

United States and Kenya to strengthen security partnership: Rohling

The United States stands with Kenya in the mutual objective to keep Kenyans and Americans safe through support and cooperation, a senior American Army official has said.

Maj. Gen. Andrew M. Rohling (U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa commander) said the partnership is across all branches of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).

“The U.S. Army remains committed to the KDF by building interoperability among our troops and improving military institutions,” said Rohling. “I am proud of the work the U.S. Army has done to assist the KDF, and I look forward to the future opportunities that will build upon our longstanding partnership.”

He spoke during a ceremony to officiate a new simulator facility at the Kenya Army School of Infantry in Isiolo.

The U.S. embassy said the Africa commander visited Kenya on an official tour from March 2-5, 2021 to broaden and strengthen the security partnership between the two countries.

The army official explained that the partnership with KDF includrd annual education and training, shared intelligence and surveillance, joint military exercises, high quality military equipment, and pandemic response.

The project is part of $4 million (approximately Ksh. 438 million) in current U.S. government support to training infrastructure enhancements at the School of Infantry.

The project, developed in close coordination with KDF senior leadership, is expected to significantly improve the quality of training received by the roughly 3,000 KDF personnel who train at the school each year before deploying to combat operations.

The schedule of activities included meetings at Kenya Army Headquarters with Deputy Army Commander Maj. Gen. Albert Kendagor to discuss strategic security cooperation initiatives.

It also involved a visit to the KDF Wellness Centre at Langata Barracks to meet with wounded KDF service members. Maj. Gen. George Ngang’a, director of medical services led the meeting.

Additionally, Rohling had the opportunity to address representatives from Kenya’s Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations on SETAF-AF’s role in supporting the overall U.S.-Kenya bilateral defence relationship.

“SETAF-AF’s partnership with the KDF is an integral component of the broader, decades-long U.S.-Kenya defense relationship. SETAF-AF support to KDF training institutions is emblematic of the unwavering U.S. commitment to Kenya, our shared values, and our mutual national security interests,” a statement from the American embassy reads.

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