The United States and Kenya began a $70 million State Department-funded expansion of Manda Bay Air Base, including a 10,000-foot runway extension, between 4:45:40 PM and 7:45:12 PM UTC on February 2, 2026, to enhance counterterrorism air operations in the Horn of Africa amid increased U.S. airstrikes in Somalia under President Trump's second term, according to Task & Purpose as shared by ChrisADayton on X. The project follows U.S. military withdrawals from Chad and Niger and supports U.S. forces at adjacent Camp Simba, which conduct strikes against al-Shabaab and ISIS-Somalia, at a base attacked by al-Shabaab in 2020, Task & Purpose reported with images from Conflict Geographies showing construction starting around May 2025. Satellite imagery indicates significant expansion despite cloud coverage, per ChrisADayton. This development builds on a prior $71 million Manda Bay airfield upgrade announced by AFRICOM's General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, shifting operations from Djibouti for anti-Al-Shabaab efforts, as reported by FTL Somalia and shared by Addis Standard in the previous reporting window.
