Kenya occupies a distinctive position in contemporary global affairs, acting simultaneously as a crucial security partner for the United States, an important economic destination for Chinese capital, and a prominent defender of African agency within international institutions. This article examines how Nairobi can leverage great-power competition to its advantage without allowing external alliances to compromise domestic policy space. Drawing upon theories of strategic autonomy, African agency, neoclassical realism, and complex interdependence, we conceptualize Kenya's current diplomatic posture as an exercise in pragmatic multi-alignment rather than rigid bloc adherence. Using a qualitative documentary analysis of official policy frameworks, scholarly assessments, and authoritative reports, the study tracks Kenya's evolving relationships with both Washington and Beijing across key sectors including defence, infrastructure, technology, sovereign debt, and regional governance. The analysis indicates that Kenya's primary diplomatic objective should not center on choosing a single patron, but rather on building the internal institutional mechanisms necessary to evaluate and choose partnerships on an issue-by-issue basis. Ultimately, we propose a sovereignty-driven operational model anchored in partnership diversification, strict contract transparency, proactive parliamentary oversight, and technological independence.
Keywords: Kenya, Strategic Autonomy, Multi-Alignment, China, United States, Sovereignty.
Mokoro, E. O. (2026). Between the Dragon and the Eagle: Strategic Autonomy, Sovereignty and Kenya's Diplomacy in an Era of Great-Power Competition. Journal of Contemporary Academic Research and Methodologies, 1(8), Article 004. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23279243
MLA
Mokoro, Emmanuel Onyinkwa. "Between the Dragon and the Eagle: Strategic Autonomy, Sovereignty and Kenya's Diplomacy in an Era of Great-Power Competition." Journal of Contemporary Academic Research and Methodologies, vol. 1, no. 8, 2026, article 004. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23279243
Chicago
Mokoro, Emmanuel Onyinkwa. "Between the Dragon and the Eagle: Strategic Autonomy, Sovereignty and Kenya's Diplomacy in an Era of Great-Power Competition." Journal of Contemporary Academic Research and Methodologies 1, no. 8 (2026): 004. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23279243
References
Acharya, A. (2014). Global international relations (IR) and regional worlds: A new agenda for international studies. International Studies Quarterly, 58(4), 647–659.
AllAfrica (2025a, 7 August). Kenya: U.S. Senate orders deep review of Kenya's Major Non-NATO Ally status. AllAfrica.
AllAfrica (2025b, 24 April). Kenyan president visits China as country pivots away from the U.S. AllAfrica.
AllAfrica (2025c, 7 November). Kenya: Ruto discusses trade, security and technology with U.S. embassy team. AllAfrica.
AllAfrica (2024, 31 May). Africa: William Ruto wins in Washington , but does Kenya? AllAfrica.
Al Jazeera (2024, 23 May). US to designate Kenya as 'non-NATO ally' during Ruto visit. Al Jazeera.
Anderson, D. (2020). Kenya's war in Somalia. In N. Cheeseman, K. Kanyinga, and G. Lynch (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Kenyan Politics (pp. 576–589). Oxford University Press.
Associated Press (2025, 24 April). Kenyan president vows closer ties to China during visit amid Trump's trade war. Associated Press.
Brautigam, D. (2009). The Dragon's Gift: The Real Story of China in Africa. Oxford University Press.
Brautigam, D. (2015). Will Africa Feed China? Oxford University Press.
Brown, W. (2012). A question of agency: Africa in international politics. Third World Quarterly, 33(10), 1889–1908.
Brown, W., and Harman, S. (Eds.). (2013). African Agency in International Politics. Routledge.
Calzati, S. (2022). 'Data sovereignty' or 'data colonialism'? Exploring the Chinese involvement in Africa's ICTs: A document review on Kenya. Journal of Contemporary African Studies, 40(2), 270–285.
Cheeseman, N., Kanyinga, K., and Lynch, G. (Eds.). (2020). The Oxford Handbook of Kenyan Politics. Oxford University Press.
Coons, C. (2024a, 24 May). Senator Coons, colleagues introduce resolution celebrating 60-year anniversary of U.S.-Kenya relations. Office of Senator Chris Coons.
Coons, C. (2024b, 29 May). ICYMI: Senator Coons publishes op-ed about U.S.-Kenya relations following President Ruto's historic state visit. Office of Senator Chris Coons.
Council on Foreign Relations (2024, 20 May). A preview of Kenya's state visit. Council on Foreign Relations.
Gnedina, E. (2015). 'Multi-vector' foreign policies in Europe: Balancing, bandwagoning or bargaining? Europe-Asia Studies, 67(7), 1007–1029.
Hall, I. (2016). Multialignment and Indian foreign policy under Narendra Modi. ISAS Insights, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore.
Institute for Security Studies (2024, 31 May). William Ruto wins in Washington , but does Kenya? ISS Today.
Keohane, R. O., and Nye, J. S. (1977). Power and Interdependence: World Politics in Transition. Little, Brown.
Lake, D. A. (2013). Theory is dead, long live theory: The end of the great debates and the rise of eclecticism in International Relations. European Journal of International Relations, 19(3), 567–587.
Nyabola, N. (2018). Digital Democracy, Analogue Politics: How the Internet Era Is Transforming Kenya. Zed Books.
Plummer, A. (2022). Kenya's Engagement with China: Discourse, Power, and Agency. Michigan State University Press.
Ripsman, N. M., Taliaferro, J. W., and Lobell, S. E. (2016). Neoclassical Realist Theory of International Politics. Oxford University Press.
Strange, S. (1996). The Retreat of the State: The Diffusion of Power in the World Economy. Cambridge University Press.
United States, Department of Defense (2024, 24 May). Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's meeting with Kenya President William Ruto.
United States, The White House (2024a, 23 May). Message to the Congress on the intent to designate Kenya as a Major Non-NATO Ally.
United States, The White House (2024b, 24 June). Memorandum on the designation of Kenya as a Major Non-NATO Ally. Presidential Determination No. 2024-05.
