NAIROBI, Kenya — The head of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), General Michael Langley, has reaffirmed Kenya’s status as a major non-NATO ally, dismissing recent speculation about a shift in the two countries’ military partnership.
Speaking in Nairobi ahead of the African Chiefs of Defence Conference set to open Wednesday, Langley said bilateral ties between the US and Kenya remain strong, particularly in the realm of counter-terrorism.
“Kenya is a great partner for the US. The operations we’re conducting together in Somalia are a testament to that ongoing partnership,” Langley told reporters. “The fact remains that Kenya is a major non-NATO ally.”
His remarks come in the wake of questions raised by the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee over Kenya’s growing diplomatic engagement with China, following President William Ruto’s controversial remarks on a “new world order.”
However, Langley dismissed the suggestion that this has impacted Kenya’s strategic standing with Washington.
Security in Focus
The annual CHOD conference, bringing together at least 42 military chiefs from across Africa, will be officially opened by President Ruto.
Langley said Kenya was selected to host the event due to its “leadership, professionalism, and ability to export security across the region.”
He added that the gathering will seek a unified African position on shared security challenges and opportunities.
“From this, we can develop recommendations that enable us to offer the best military advice—while respecting civilian governance—to address these issues,” he said.
Langley also addressed speculation that the US is planning to establish a permanent military base in Kenya.
“That is not on the table,” he said. “The expansion of the runway at Manda Bay is a joint project to boost operational capabilities, but it’s nowhere near the scale that’s being speculated.”
Somalia: From Stabilisation to Somali Leadership
On Somalia, Langley noted the progress made since 2022, when Kenyan and other allied forces helped liberate central regions from al-Shabaab control.
He said that while the military push cleared the way for civil administration, sustaining peace now rests with the Somali federal government.
“That model has worked,” he said. “But now it’s up to Somalia’s leadership to take the reins, with support from partners under the AUSSOM framework.”
On DRC and Burkina Faso
Langley clarified AFRICOM’s position on two other security flashpoints in Africa.
On eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, he said AFRICOM has no boots on the ground and is only “observing the situation,” with the US State Department taking the lead diplomatically.
He also addressed recent remarks he made before the US Senate Armed Services Committee, where he criticized Burkina Faso’s junta leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, for allegedly diverting gold reserves for private security.
“My comments were in a military-to-military context,” he said. “They were not intended to question Burkina Faso’s sovereignty, but to stress the importance of proper resource allocation in the fight against terrorism.”
Future of US-Africa Defense Ties
Langley said AFRICOM is reassessing its approach in the wake of shifting US foreign policy, particularly since the Trump administration’s pivot toward burden-sharing.
“We’re reviewing what’s effective, what can be delegated, and what still needs US leadership,” he said. “African countries are taking more responsibility, and we’re building collaborative mechanisms to support that.”
