Kenya’s inventory of armored vehicles continues to grow with its acquisition of new Springbuck armored personnel carriers from South Africa and M1117 armored security vehicles from the United States.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen commissioned the vehicles at the General Service Unit Headquarters in Ruaraka. Murkomen said the vehicles were part of the government’s modernization program that has seen a major decrease in crime, particularly in the northern parts of the country, with banditry dropping by 70%, defenceWeb reported. The new vehicles will be deployed to address cattle rustling, banditry and terrorism.
The Springbuck Standard Duty models have ballistic protection and can withstand a TM57 land mine directly under the hull, or two under any wheel. South African company DCD Protected Mobility developed the vehicles, according to Military Africa. Kenya’s military has been operating the Springbuck for at least five years, with several surviving improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in operations along the border with Somalia.
The M1117 personnel carriers protect crews with multiple layers of armor. They are built to defend against small-arms fire, artillery projectile fragments, IEDs and land mines, according to the Army Recognition Group.
The M1117 vehicles are from U.S. Excess Defense Articles stocks. The U.S. Massachusetts National Guard is helping Kenya with refurbishment and training in collaboration with the Kenya Army Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. U.S. maintenance experts exchanged best practices on the M1117 with Kenyan engineers at Kahawa Barracks in mid-2025.
In 2024, the U.S. revealed plans to transfer eight UH-1 Huey and eight MD500 helicopters to Kenya along with about 150 M1117 armored vehicles. The equipment is intended to help Kenya provide regional peace and security and participate in peacekeeping missions. In July 2024, Kenya received the first two of eight UH-1 helicopters. The helicopters also can be used in air assaults, to deploy and evacuate troops, and to deliver supplies.