US Military Aircraft Video Leak Prompts Ban On Filming of KPA Staff

The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has banned photography and filming within all its facilities after a video of a US military aircraft landing at the Port of Mombasa circulated online.

The internal directive, issued on September 22 by KPA Manager of Security Services Tony Kibwana, came just hours after the clip of a Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey executing a precision vertical landing at Berth 21 spread across social media.

Mr. Kibwana reminded staff and port users that all KPA facilities, including the Mombasa port and inland container depots, are classified as restricted zones under the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.

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“The port of Mombasa and all other port facilities under KPA… are restricted areas and any photography and videography is prohibited unless under explicit permission and clearance from management,” the memo read. He further warned that unauthorized recording and distribution of such footage amounts to an offence punishable by law.

The leaked video has fueled speculation about the purpose of the aircraft’s presence. Sources indicate that at least six Ospreys are expected to arrive at the port before September 25 for onward loading onto a US naval ship, though their destination remains unclear.

The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is a unique tilt-rotor aircraft that combines the vertical lift capability of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing plane. It is currently in use by the US Marine Corps, Air Force, Navy, and Special Operations Command.

Kenya, designated a Major Non-NATO Ally of the United States, has increasingly hosted US military assets as part of its strategic security partnership. In March, the USS Lewis B. Puller, a floating sea base, docked in Mombasa for resupply, following similar visits in recent years by the USS Hershel “Woody” Williams and other naval vessels.

While KPA maintains that photography bans are standard international security practice, the viral spread of the Osprey video has drawn public attention to the extent of US military activity in Kenyan waters — and the strict measures now being enforced to keep such operations out of the spotlight.