On 2018-11-20, the United States handed over 12 Bastion Armored Personnel Carriers to the Kenya Defence Forces in a move aimed at strengthening border surveillance and countering extremist attacks along Kenya’s frontier.
The vehicles are intended to support KDF operations against Al Shabaab, especially in areas where improvised explosive devices have been used against security teams. The US embassy in Nairobi said defeating the IED threat is central to denying violent extremists freedom of movement.
US Defense Attaché and Senior Defense Official Colonel Kevin Balisky presented the APCs to Deputy Kenya Army Commander Major General Thomas Chepkuto during a ceremony at Kahawa Barracks in Nairobi. Balisky said the donation reflected the “unwavering US commitment to Kenya and our shared national security interests.” He added that the vehicles would improve troop mobility and force protection as the KDF continues daily operations against violent extremism.
The US is also running a three-week train-the-trainer course for Kenya Army operators and maintainers of the Bastion APCs.
The donation comes as security forces continue to face heavy losses on the porous border stretching from Lamu to Mandera. The report said more than 100 security personnel had been killed in incidents in the previous year alone, while dozens more were recovering in hospital after vehicles hit IEDs.
At the same time, the Administration Police’s border patrol unit has begun taking over border posts from other agencies under the new police structure. The unit has already deployed to Nadapal on the Kenya-South Sudan border and to nearly half of the Kenya-Somalia border, with plans to extend coverage across the full Lamu-to-Mandera stretch.
The broader restructuring is meant to allow the Administration Police to concentrate on its core duties, including protecting strategic installations, VIP protection and border security. Under the new arrangement, APs will focus on the Rapid Deployment Unit, Border Police Unit, APS Stock Theft Prevention Unit and Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit.
The Bastion APC is built on a 4×4 rigid mechanical-welded chassis and has a front-engine layout that leaves a full-length floor for crew and troops. It can be fitted with air conditioning, radio equipment, observation and recording systems, beacon lights, loudspeakers, siren amplifiers, a public address system and search lights. The vehicle also carries smoke grenade launchers and up to nine gun ports for rifles.
