Dick Cheney, the former United States Vice President who became one of the most powerful and controversial figures in modern American history, has died at the age of 84. His family confirmed he passed away on the evening of Monday, November 3, 2025, from complications related to pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, according to a statement released Tuesday.

While Cheney’s career was defined by his central role in shaping the US response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the subsequent invasion of Iraq, his tenure in the administration of President George W. Bush had significant and lasting implications for Kenya and the wider East Africa region. This legacy is primarily viewed through two distinct lenses: the expansion of the 'Global War on Terror' into the Horn of Africa and the simultaneous rollout of unprecedented public health initiatives.

A Dual Legacy in East Africa

Following the 9/11 attacks, the Bush-Cheney administration's foreign policy pivoted dramatically. The Horn of Africa was identified as a key front in the fight against extremist groups, particularly Al-Qaeda, which had previously bombed the US embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in August 1998. This strategic shift elevated Kenya to the status of a crucial counter-terrorism partner for the United States.

This partnership resulted in a significant increase in US security funding and military cooperation. The US established the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti in October 2002 to oversee counter-terrorism operations, which included training and support for Kenyan and Ethiopian armed forces. While this enhanced regional security cooperation, some analysts noted that the intense focus on counter-terrorism led to a de-emphasis on human rights and governance issues by the US. Kenyan authorities, with US support, expanded operations that sometimes led to human rights abuses, creating friction with minority Muslim communities.

In stark contrast to the hard-power approach of the War on Terror, the Bush-Cheney era also saw the launch of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in 2003. This initiative marked a historic financial commitment to combating a single disease and has had a profound, life-saving impact in Kenya. PEPFAR has provided funding for antiretroviral treatment (ART) for millions of Kenyans, drastically changing the course of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the country. According to the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, the program has allowed millions of Kenyans to live with hope and has been a cornerstone of the U.S.-Kenya partnership. This public health diplomacy stands as a significant and widely praised aspect of the administration's engagement with Africa.

A Career of Power and Controversy

Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, on January 30, 1941, Richard Bruce Cheney's career in Washington spanned decades. He served as White House Chief of Staff under President Gerald Ford, a six-term congressman for Wyoming, and as Secretary of Defense from 1989 to 1993 under President George H.W. Bush, where he oversaw Operation Desert Storm.

Between his stints in government, he was the CEO of Halliburton, an oil services and construction company, from 1995 to 2000. This role would later draw accusations of conflicts of interest when Halliburton subsidiary KBR was awarded massive no-bid contracts during the Iraq War. Cheney was also named in a 2010 corruption complaint by the Nigerian government related to his time at the company.

As Vice President, Cheney was a chief architect of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, based on intelligence, later proven false, that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. He was a staunch defender of controversial policies such as enhanced interrogation techniques, which critics labeled as torture, and expanded domestic surveillance.

Cheney had a long history of cardiovascular problems, suffering his first of five heart attacks at age 37 and undergoing a heart transplant in 2012. In his later years, he became a prominent critic of former President Donald Trump, calling him the greatest threat to the republic in its history and endorsing Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

At the time of publication, no official statements or reactions from the Kenyan government or other East African leaders had been issued. Kenyan news outlets have reported the death, focusing on his powerful role in US politics and the Iraq War.