The US government has donated 12 Bastion Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) to the Kenya military in an effort to help the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) heighten border surveillance in the war against terrorism.

The APCs will also aid in countering the threat posed by Improvised Explosive Devices along the porous Kenya-Somalia border.

According to the US Defence Attaché and Senior Defence Official Colonel, Kevin Balisky, defeating the threat of IEDs is a critical component of denying violent extremists freedom of movement.

“These vehicles represent the unwavering US commitment to Kenya and our shared national security interests,” Colonel Balisky said.

The donation of the armoured vehicles to KDF comes in the background of a US report that revealed corrupt Kenyan border security officers are giving terrorist access to the country for meagre bribes of at least Sh 2,000.

US AIRSTRIKES KILLS 37 AL SHABAAB

The US conducted two air strikes in Somalia on Tuesday killing 37 Al Shabaab militants.

According to a statement by the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), the first air strike left 27 militants dead while the second attack killed 10 others.

The US further said the air strikes reduced Al-Shabaab’s ability to plot future attacks since it’s its leadership networks were disrupted and the militia’s freedom to manoeuvre within the region was also degraded.

The US has committed to continue supporting Somalia and other AMISOM forces by ensuring the militants are flushed out from their safe havens.

“The desired end state in East Africa is one in which terrorist organisations cannot destabilize Somalia and its neighboring states nor threaten the interests of the US and its international allies in the region,” the statement by AFRICOM further states.

The US Africa Command said it will continue to work with its partners to transfer the responsibility for long-term security in Somalia from the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) to the Federal Government of Somalia and its member states.