Is Kenya losing its lead in the region?

Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and South Sudan President Salva Kiir. They were in Juba for tripartite talks on regional affairs. Kenya could slowly be losing its strategic lead in East Africa due to the changing geopolitics and the newfound unity between Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia. PHOTO | AFP

policy in light of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali becoming the regional point man to fix problems ranging from the Kenya-Somalia maritime dispute to the conflict in Sudan.

TRADE HUB

As an important trade hub for landlocked countries, Kenya has maintained its the middle-of-the path stance taken during the Cold War under the Non-Aligned Movement. As a result, Kenya has kept its allies like the US and China in investments, leadership of international organisations and tackling threats like terrorism, climate change and HIV/Aids.

In 2014 Kenya developed its first written foreign policy since Independence in 1963, with five main pillars — peace diplomacy, economic diplomacy, diaspora diplomacy, environment diplomacy and cultural diplomacy.

However, Kenya’s peace diplomacy is being overshadowed by organisations like the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad) with Prime Minister Abiy as its chairman. Read More...