Six years after Al-Shabaab attack, Kenya, US test Manda Bay defences

Members of the Kenyan Defence Forces escort a simulated suspicious person towards a holding facility during a joint US-Kenyan base defense exercise at Manda Bay, Kenya, August 27, 2026.

Six years after an Al-Shabaab attack exposed vulnerabilities at the Manda Bay military base in Lamu, Kenyan and US forces have conducted their first ever multi-unit joint exercise involving the defence of the entire facility.

The August 27 exercise, which was made public over the weekend, brought together Kenya Defence Forces and US military personnel to rehearse responses to threats ranging from suspicious activity and mortar attacks to explosive hazards, fires and medical emergencies, according to the US Africa Command.

The exercise comes as the US continues to invest in infrastructure at Manda Bay, including an expansion of the airfield, to enhance the facility's continuing role in American counterterrorism operations in East Africa.