When US President Donald Trump recently declared that America should not continue “policing” countries like Kenya and Somalia, he gave blunt voice to a reality that Nairobi must confront: Washington’s military commitment to East Africa is no longer reliable.
The statement may have sounded dismissive, even harsh, but it reflects a deeper shift in American foreign policy. Kenya, long accustomed to leaning on US intelligence, funding and logistical backing in counterterrorism, can no longer afford to treat Washington as its central pillar of security.
