U.S. government to donate 16 helicopters and 150 armoured vehicles to Kenya’s military – They include 'Flying Coffins' that KAGAME rejected

Thursday, May 23, 2024 - The United States government has announced a donation of 16 helicopters and 150 armoured vehicles to the Kenya Defence Forces(KDF) to help in fighting Al-Shabaab terrorists.

The donation was announced on Thursday as President William Ruto met US President Joe Biden in the White House.

According to a statement released by the White House on Thursday, the 16 helicopters include eight Hueys (nicknamed the flying coffins) to provide regional peace and security as well as eight MD-500s to enhance Kenya's participation in peacekeeping missions.

The aircraft are expected to arrive in Nairobi between late 2024 and summer 2025, according to the White House.

Kenya will also receive approximately 150 M1117 Armored Security Vehicles from the U.S. Excess Defense Article stocks which are projected to arrive in Kenya in September 2024.

In a bid to fortify collaboration on counterterrorism, the two nations have pledged to deepen their information-sharing efforts.

Kenya is also in the process of joining Operation Gallant Phoenix, a program facilitating multinational cooperation in sharing terrorist-related information.

The Kenyan DAILY POST