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.
Read the occasional paper: Kenya’s Regional Diplomacy: Peripheral or Adaptive Pragmatism?
