Briefing Paper

Kenya’s Regional Relations: Between Principle and Practice

“Kenya has long been cast as a reluctant regional actor. Those who view it
as having a strong economy, but lacking political leverage in its region
have questioned its regional influence. Critics argue that Kenya takes its cue
from its neighbours and adopts regional engagement strategies that are a
passive object of the geo-strategic interests of others. A radical departure from Kenya’s conservative approach to regional relations was the incursion into
Somalia to wage war against Al-Shabaab; the biggest military venture that
Kenya had undertaken since independence. The question is: why has Kenya
not consistently converted its economic strengths into political influence and
acted as a pivotal state in the region? This brief examines the reasons behind
Kenya’s ambivalent performance in regional politics.”