Updated July 16, 2019
Kenya
The U.S. government considers Kenya to be a strategic
Figure 1. Kenya Facts
partner and key regional actor in East Africa, and as critical
to counterterrorism efforts in the region. Policymakers have
valued Kenya’s role as a peacemaker among its neighbors
and as a historic host to refugees from across the troubled
region. Kenya is presently sub-Saharan Africa’s third
largest economy, and it is a regional hub for transportation
and finance and a top tourism destination. Its capital,
Nairobi, is home to one of four major United Nations
offices worldwide and serves as a base for regional
humanitarian efforts. It also hosts the largest U.S.
diplomatic mission in Africa. Kenya ranks among the top
U.S. foreign aid recipients globally and is one of the largest
Source: Data from CIA World Factbook, IMF (2019).
African recipients of U.S. counterterrorism assistance.
Kenya is home to more than 50 ethnic groups; no one group
Kenya’s reputation as an anchor state in a volatile region
constitutes a majority. The largest group, the Kikuyu, which
has been periodically threatened by electoral violence and
represents roughly 20% of the population, has been
ethnic tensions. Flawed election processes since 2007 have
perceived historically as dominating the political class and
undermined public trust and strained the government’s
business community. Under President Jomo Kenyatta, a
relations with some communities. Disputed elections in
Kikuyu, the group was seen to benefit disproportionately
2017 were marred by violence and allegations of rigging
from the allocation of state resources, namely land and
and police brutality, and subsequent government actions
government jobs and contracts. When Moi, Kenyatta’s vice
prompted questions about Kenya’s democratic trajectory.
president, assumed office after Kenyatta’s death in 1978,
Tensions have since lessened and political allegiances
many of these benefits shifted to his people, a smaller group
appear to be shifting ahead of the next elections, in 2022.
of ethnicities collectively referred to as the Kalenjin.
Economic frustration and abuses of power have fueled
For almost 40 years, the heartlands of these communities—
grievances among the diverse population. Perceived
the central highlands for the Kikuyu and the central Rift
impunity from justice has been a trigger for violence, and
Valley for the Kalenjin—received the greatest state
corruption has been a hindrance to greater economic
investment in schools, roads, and health services. Other
development. Accountability shortfalls have also been a
areas were marginalized and remain comparatively
source of tension with donors, including the United States.
underdeveloped, such as the predominantly Muslim
northeastern and coastal areas, and western Kenya, which is
The Somalia-based Al Qaeda affiliate Al Shabaab poses a
home to the second and third largest ethnic groups, the
threat in Kenya. Its 2015 attack on a university was
Luhya and Luo. Some Kenyans refer to the dynamic of
Kenya’s deadliest terror attack since the Al Qaeda bombing
ethnic favoritism, which reinforced a focus on “tribe,” with
of the U.S. embassy in 1998. The 2013 siege of a Nairobi
such colloquial phrases as “It’s our turn to eat.”
mall and the January 2019 attack on a hotel in the city
demonstrated Al Shabaab’s reach. The group says attacks
No ethnic group constitutes a large enough voting block for
are, in part, retaliation for Kenyan military operations in
its political leaders to gain or maintain power alone; they
Somalia. The Kenyan government has been accused of
must form alliances, which periodically shift. Many of
human rights abuses against its minority Muslim population
today’s politicians have moved in and out of government
as it seeks to counter terrorism and extremist recruitment.
and opposition since the Moi era. Realignments prior to the
December 2007 elections created a volatile ethnic dynamic,
Background
and when incumbent President Mwai Kibaki (a Kikuyu)
Kenya was essentially a one-party state from 1964 to 1991.
was declared the winner of an extremely close presidential
Long-serving President Daniel arap Moi retained his party’s
race amid charges of rigging, opposition protests turned
dominance, in part through electoral manipulation and
violent. The violence largely followed ethnic lines in urban
repression, until he retired under donor pressure in 2002.
areas and parts of the country where Kikuyu had settled
The elections that year were hailed as marking a shift in
after independence. The Rift Valley saw some of the worst
Kenya’s democratic trajectory. For the first time, the
violence, between the Kikuyu and the Kalenjin, who had
country’s fractious and primarily ethnically based
supported opposition candidate Raila Odinga, a Luo. Police
opposition parties came together to defeat Moi’s chosen
were implicated in hundreds of deaths. In six weeks, some
successor, Uhuru Kenyatta, son of Kenya’s first president,
1,300 people were killed and 600,000 were displaced.
Jomo Kenyatta. That coalition slowly unraveled, however,
Kenya was paralyzed for months before Kibaki and Odinga
and a political storm fueled by ethnic grievances was
reached a power-sharing deal, mediated by Kofi Annan, and
brewing as the next elections approached, in 2007.
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Kenya
formed coalition government with Odinga in a new prime
orders threatened the rule of law. In March, Kenyatta and
minister position. They agreed to draft a new constitution.
Odinga announced a deal to end the stalemate. Their
An international commission on the post-election violence
rapprochement eased tensions, but aspects of the agreement
attributed the crisis to the political manipulation of
remain unclear. A new anticorruption drive, among other
perceived ethnic marginalization and a culture of impunity,
developments, has fueled speculation that Kenyatta may not
among other factors. When Kenya’s legislature declined to
support Ruto’s prospective run for the presidency in 2022.
establish a tribunal to prosecute the worst crimes, the
Somali Refugees
commission gave a list of key suspects to Annan, who
presented them to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Kenya has long hosted refugees from the troubled region,
most notably Somalia. In 2016, citing security concerns, the
The ICC and the 2013 Elections
government announced it would no longer host refugees.
In 2012, the Court confirmed charges against four people,
(Officials later clarified that they aimed to close Dadaab,
including then-deputy Prime Minister Kenyatta and leading
the largest complex.) U.S. officials expressed deep concern,
Kalenjin politician William Ruto. The government objected
noting longstanding aid to support Kenya’s role as a host.
to the cases, despite being an ICC state party. The cases
The High Court blocked the closure in 2017, describing it
were a key issue in the 2013 elections, when Kenyatta and
as discriminatory and unconstitutional, as it specifically
Ruto, rivals in 2007, ran successfully together on a new
targeted Somalis. The government revived its threat to close
Jubilee Coalition presidential ticket. They portrayed the
Dadaab in 2019. Kenya hosts over 475,000 refugees, most
ICC cases as an international conspiracy against Kenya and
of them from Somalia and South Sudan.
emblematic of racial bias by the court. Voting largely
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followed ethnic lines, but the combination of Kikuyu and
Kalenjin on the ticket reduced the prospects for violence.
President Kenyatta has taken significant steps to attract
foreign investment as part of his ambitious economic
The ICC trials were plagued by alleged witness intimidation
growth agenda. Agriculture, manufacturing, and real estate
and political interference. The Court ultimately withdrew
are the primary drivers of growth, but Kenya also has a
the charges against Kenyatta and Ruto, citing insufficient
vibrant telecom industry that is a global pioneer in mobile
evidence. Neither was acquitted, leaving the possibility of
banking technology. China is financing major infrastructure
new charges, but allowing the pair to run for reelection.
projects, including a planned coal-fired power plant that has
The 2017 Elections
attracted controversy. The IMF has warned Kenya to
contain rising debt, of which China holds a growing share.
The 2013 elections heralded major changes in Kenya’s
Debt stood at 56.5% of GDP in 2018, up from 42% when
political system. They were the first held under a new 2010
Kenyatta took office. Development challenges persist:
constitution, which set new checks and balances and a more
Kenya has made limited progress in reducing high rates of
deliberate separation of powers, including the devolution of
extreme poverty, food insecurity, and maternal mortality.
authority to 47 new county governments. The constitution
created a Supreme Court, an upper house in parliament, a
U.S. Policy and Assistance
new anti-corruption authority, and a land commission.
Despite generally close ties, governance and human rights
Elections in 2017 were a major test for Kenya’s political
concerns have sometimes complicated the U.S.-Kenya
institutions. Amid a polarized political landscape, a series
relationship and have been a focus for congressional action.
of scandals rocked the electoral commission. Civil society,
The Trump and Kenyatta Administrations have sought to
the opposition, and election monitors raised concerns about
improve relations following tensions around Kenya’s 2017
the voter register, ballot procurement, results transmission,
elections. Kenyatta visited the White House in August
and the murder of a top election official. Election monitors
2018, and the two presidents resolved to elevate the
gave positive reviews of the voting and counting processes,
bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership. Talks
but problems arose in the transmission and tallying of
focused on counterterrorism (CT), among other issues, and
results. When Kenyatta was declared the winner with
economic cooperation: nearly $900 million in commercial
54.7% to opposition leader Odinga’s 44.9%, the opposition
deals were announced during the visit. Direct flights, once
cried foul and challenged the result in court.
blocked over security concerns, started in late 2018.
The Supreme Court declared the presidential result null and
Allegations of serious abuses by Kenyan security forces in
void in a landmark ruling, finding that the election had not
the context of anti-terrorism and other law enforcement
been conducted in accordance with the law, and ordered a
efforts pose challenges for security cooperation. Kenya is
fresh election. The Court faced threats from senior officials.
nevertheless routinely the top sub-Saharan recipient of U.S.
Odinga deemed reforms insufficient, boycotting the re-run.
anti-terrorism assistance for law enforcement. In the past
Turnout fell, 77.5% to 38.8%, and Kenyatta won with 98%.
decade, the Department of Defense has provided roughly
$400 million in CT “train and equip” support to Kenya.
The opposition continued to contest Kenyatta’s legitimacy
into early 2018, holding a mock inauguration event and
Kenya is one of the top recipients globally of U.S. foreign
declaring Odinga “the people’s president.” The government
aid, often receiving over $800 million annually. The Trump
termed the event “treasonous” and shut down Kenya’s
Administration’s $383 million FY2020 aid request (not
largest private TV stations for days to limit coverage.
including potential humanitarian aid) for Kenya is a
Several opposition figures were arrested; one was deported.
significant reduction from prior requests.
In the weeks following, Kenya’s current and former chief
Lauren Ploch Blanchard, Specialist in African Affairs
justices, as well as two former U.S. ambassadors, warned
that the government’s disregard for several related court
IF10168
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Kenya
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