KENYA’S FOREIGN POLICIES ON EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY INTEGRATION (2013–2023)

Author: Eric Wachira Wangari

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the impact of Kenya’s foreign policy on East African Community (EAC) regional integration between 2013 and 2023, examining trade, diplomatic, and security dimensions. Employing a mixed-methods design, the research administered structured questionnaires to 260 purposively selected stakeholders across five categories, government officials, business leaders, academic experts, civil society representatives, and international development partners. Grounded theoretically in Neoliberal Institutionalism, Constructivism, and Security Community Theory, the findings reveal a nuanced picture: Kenya’s trade agreements enjoy broad stakeholder approval (69.2%), yet persistent tariff and non-tariff barriers constrain intra-regional commerce. Diplomatic efforts are strongly affirmed (76.9%), underscoring Kenya’s role as a regional anchor state; security policies are similarly recognized (73.1%) as contributors to border stability, though coordination and transparency gaps remain. The study argues that Kenya’s effectiveness as an integrative force depends on deeper policy harmonization, more inclusive diplomacy, and a shift from state-centric to community-oriented security governance. It contributes to the literature on African regionalism by offering an empirically grounded, stakeholder-informed account of how national foreign policy shapes, and is constrained by, the imperatives of regional integration.

Keywords: Kenya; foreign policy; regional integration; East African Community; trade policy; diplomacy; border security

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