NAIROBI, Kenya — A high-stakes defense summit is underway in Nairobi as President William Ruto officially opens the United States Africa Command-led 2025 African Chiefs of Defence Conference (ACHOD25), marking the first time this influential security forum is being held on Kenyan soil.
The four-day event, hosted at a time of mounting political instability and economic pressure across parts of the continent, has drawn military chiefs from 37 African nations alongside top brass from U.S. Naval Forces Africa, Special Operations Command Africa, U.S. Air Forces Africa, and U.S. Army Africa.
Flanked by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and top security officials, President Ruto welcomed delegates with a call to action: build stronger partnerships, share intelligence, and confront transnational threats head-on.
The conference’s theme, “Strengthening African Security, Sustaining Unity of Effort,” sets a collaborative tone amid shifting geopolitical winds that have drawn global powers, including China and Russia, deeper into African affairs.
The United States Africa Command (Africom) is positioning this summit as a cornerstone of regional security cooperation. Rather than boots on the ground, Africom is betting on African militaries to take the lead—supported by training, technology, and strategic guidance from the U.S. and its allies.
In a show of unity ahead of the summit, U.S. Marine Corps General Michael Langley, commander of U.S. Africa Command (Africom), joined Kenya’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Charles Kahariri, for a walkthrough at the venue.
The two leaders underscored the importance of collaboration as they previewed the Nairobi venue set to host representatives from 37 nations.
Co-hosted by AFRICOM and Kenya, the event aims to strengthen regional partnerships and develop collective strategies to counter shared threats.
Discussions at ACHOD25 are laser-focused on intelligence sharing, peacekeeping operations, and readiness amid rising terror threats, cyber warfare, and humanitarian crises. Nairobi’s selection as host city underscores Kenya’s growing stature as a regional power broker and peacekeeping hub.
Adding to the military momentum, the National Defence College in Karen held its annual graduation on Tuesday, honoring officers from the Kenya Defence Forces, allied nations, and civilian ministries.
The college’s graduates—many of whom will likely rise to senior positions—represent the next generation of military strategists tasked with navigating Africa’s evolving security landscape.
Their training, which spans defense strategy, governance, and geopolitics, reflects the kind of capacity building that ACHOD25 aims to amplify.
As ACHOD25 unfolds under tight security in Nairobi, it’s clear the conversations are about more than doctrine and deployments. They’re about ownership. Trust. And the hard choices African leaders must make in the face of a fast-changing world.
In a forum traditionally dominated by external actors, the tone has shifted. The agenda is African-led, the solutions African-owned, and the goals unmistakably global: peace, stability, and resilience in an increasingly unpredictable world.
ACHOD has evolved from a ceremonial event into one of the continent’s most critical defense platforms—a place where formal talks blend with behind-the-scenes diplomacy, and where shared security is more than just a slogan.
