JFK FILES: How CIA Operated Base In Nairobi To Shape Continent’s Influence
The recent release of the John F. Kennedy (JFK) assassination records by US President Donald Trump showed that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had a covert base in Nairobi, Kenya.
Trump’s disclosed files revealed the CIA’s involvement in Kenya, with Nairobi one of six African locations where the espionage agency had established outposts.
Aside from Nairobi, the other cities were Johannesburg and Pretoria in South Africa, Lagos in Nigeria, Rabat in Morocco, and Salisbury (now Harare) in Zimbabwe.
The files, which date back to the 1960s, showed that the spy service was attempting to increase its influence on the African continent.
As is customary of the CIA, their specific aims and motivations for creating the base were not revealed, and the papers had little to no information about their position in the country.
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However, analogies may be established with the general logic of foreign intelligence services establishing operations in other countries to protect the interests of the governments they serve.
Nonetheless, the CIA’s presence in Nairobi during the JFK administration indicated that the city acted as a major hub for the agency’s operations in Africa.
The city was strategically important in information gathering and diplomatic involvement, especially during the Cold War.
The papers revealed a broader pattern of CIA interests in worldwide operations, which most certainly included Nairobi, notably in terms of combating Soviet influence and monitoring political activities.
While it is unknown whether the base remained operational until President John F. Kennedy’s murder, the CIA later had a formal collaboration with Kenyan police.
Following the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, the CIA stepped up its operations in East Africa to tackle terrorist threats.
The Rapid Response Team (RRT), a clandestine paramilitary organization within the Kenyan police force, was founded in 2004 by the CIA.
This unit was part of a covert operation that trained and managed local paramilitary groups in high-risk areas around the world.
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Later that year, in October 2024, Burns paid a second visit, coinciding with a meeting between President Ruto and the UK’s MI6 Chief, Richard Moore, to emphasise Kenya’s critical role in East Africa.
While specifics of the CIA’s facilities in Nairobi are unknown, these operations show a strong and ongoing relationship between the CIA and Kenyan security forces.
Nairobi functioned as a regional hub for intelligence and counterterrorism operations.
Trump’s decision to release the data is expected to raise a box of worms, especially for the CIA, which takes pride in its clandestine operations.
JFK FILES: How CIA Operated Base In Nairobi To Shape Continent’s Influence
