Updated January 16, 2020
Kenya
The U.S. government considers Kenya a strategic partner
and a political storm fueled by ethnic grievances was
and key regional actor in East Africa, and critical to
brewing as the next elections approached, in 2007.
counterterrorism efforts in the region. Kenya is sub-Saharan
Africa’s third largest economy, a regional finance and
Figure 1. Kenya Facts
transportation hub, 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
African recipients of U.S. counterterrorism assistance.
Kenya’s reputation as an anchor state in a volatile region
has been threatened by periodic electoral violence and
ethnic tensions. Economic frustrations and abuses of power
have fueled grievances among the diverse population, and
perceived impunity from justice has been a trigger for

violence. Corruption constrains economic development.
Source: CRS map. Data from CIA and IMF reference databases.
Accountability shortfalls have also been a source of tension
Kenya is home to over 50 ethnic groups; none constitutes a
with donors, including the United States.
majority. The largest group, the Kikuyu (roughly 20% of
Flawed election processes have undermined public trust.
the population), is perceived as historically dominating the
Elections in 2017 were marred by violence and allegations
political class and business community. Under President
of rigging and police brutality, and subsequent government
Jomo Kenyatta, a Kikuyu, the group was seen to benefit
actions prompted questions about Kenya’s democratic
disproportionately from the allocation of state resources,
trajectory. Tensions have lessened as political allegiances
namely land and government jobs and contracts. When
shift ahead of the next elections, scheduled for 2022.
Moi, his vice president, assumed office after Kenyatta’s
death in 1978, benefits shifted to his people, a smaller
The Somalia-based Al Qaeda affiliate Al Shabaab poses a
group of ethnicities collectively referred to as the Kalenjin.
persistent threat in Kenya, which contributes troops to the
AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). Al Shabaab’s assault
For almost 40 years, the heartlands of these communities—
on a Kenyan university in 2015 was the deadliest terror
the central highlands for the Kikuyu and the central Rift
attack in the country since the 1998 U.S. embassy bombing.
Valley for the Kalenjin—received the greatest state
The 2013 siege of Nairobi’s Westgate Mall and the 2019
investment in schools, roads, and health services. Other
attack on the DusitD2 hotel complex underscored Al
areas were marginalized and remain comparatively
Shabaab’s reach. In January 2020, a U.S. service member
underdeveloped, such as the predominantly Muslim
and two U.S. contractors were killed in an Al Shabaab
northeastern and coastal areas, and western Kenya, which is
attack on Manda Bay Airfield, a Kenyan base used by the
home to the second and third largest ethnic groups, the
U.S. military near the Somali border. The group has
Luhya and Luo. Some Kenyans refer to the dynamic of
described Kenyan and U.S. military operations in Somalia
ethnic favoritism, which reinforced a focus on “tribe,” with
as part of a “Western crusade against Muslims.” Studies
such colloquial phrases as “It’s our turn to eat.”
suggest that security force abuses in the context of anti-
No ethnic group constitutes a large enough voting block for
terrorism efforts have fueled radicalization in parts of
its political leaders to gain or maintain power alone; they
Kenya. See also CRS In Focus IF10170, Al Shabaab.
must form alliances, which periodically shift. Many of
Background
today’s politicians have moved between government and
Kenya was essentially a one-party state from 1964 to 1991.
opposition since the Moi era. Realignments prior to the
Long-serving President Daniel arap Moi retained his party’s
December 2007 elections created a volatile ethnic dynamic,
dominance, in part through electoral manipulation and
and when incumbent President Mwai Kibaki (a Kikuyu)
repression, until he retired under donor pressure in 2002.
was declared the winner of a close presidential race amid
Elections that year were hailed as marking a shift in
charges of rigging, opposition protests turned violent. The
Kenya’s democratic trajectory. For the first time, the
violence largely followed ethnic lines in urban areas and
country’s fractious and primarily ethnically based
parts of the country where Kikuyu had settled after
opposition parties came together to defeat Moi’s chosen
independence. Some of the worst violence was in the Rift
successor, Uhuru Kenyatta, son of Kenya’s first president,
Valley, between Kikuyu and Kalenjin, who had supported
Jomo Kenyatta. That coalition slowly unraveled, however,
opposition candidate Raila Odinga (a Luo). Police were
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Kenya
implicated in hundreds of deaths. In six weeks, some 1,300
ambassadors, warned that the government’s disregard for
people were killed, and 600,000 were displaced.
several related court orders threatened the rule of law.
Kenya was paralyzed for months before Kibaki and Odinga
In March 2018, Kenyatta and Odinga announced a deal to
reached a power-sharing deal, mediated by Kofi Annan, and
end the stalemate. They launched the Building Bridges
formed coalition government with Odinga in a new prime
Initiative (BBI) to “foster national cohesion” (views on the
minister position. A commission of inquiry on the violence
effort are mixed). The rapprochement eased tensions
attributed the crisis to the political manipulation of
between their factions but increased intra-party friction in
perceived ethnic marginalization and a culture of impunity,
Jubilee, with a rift growing between Kenyatta, who faces
among other factors. When the legislature declined to
term limits, and his deputy, Ruto, who seeks to succeed
establish a tribunal to prosecute the worst crimes, the
him. A BBI taskforce has proposed changes to government,
commission gave a list of key suspects to Annan, who
including the return of a prime minister post, which could
presented them to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
lead to a divisive constitutional referendum in 2020.
The ICC and the 2013 Elections
Refugees in Kenya
In 2012, the ICC confirmed charges against four people,
Kenya has long hosted refugees from the region, most
including then-deputy Prime Minister Kenyatta and leading
notably Somalia. In 2016, citing security concerns, the
Kalenjin politician William Ruto. The government objected
government announced it would no longer host refugees.
to the cases, despite being an ICC state party. The cases
Officials later clarified that they aimed to close Dadaab, the
were a key issue in the 2013 elections, when Kenyatta and
largest camp complex. The Obama Administration, noting
Ruto, rivals in 2007, successfully ran together on a new
longstanding aid to support Kenya’s role as a host,
Jubilee Coalition presidential ticket. They portrayed the
expressed deep concern. A Kenyan court blocked Dadaab’s
ICC cases as an international conspiracy against Kenya and
closure, calling it discriminatory, as it specifically targeted
emblematic of racial bias by the court. Voting largely
Somalis, and unconstitutional. The government revived the
followed ethnic lines, but the combination of Kikuyu and
threat in 2019. Kenya hosts almost 500,000 refugees, most
Kalenjin on the ticket reduced the prospects for violence.
of them from Somalia and South Sudan. Three-quarters of
the refugees in Kenya are women and children.
The ICC trials were plagued by alleged witness intimidation
and political interference. The Court ultimately withdrew
The Economy
the charges against Kenyatta and Ruto, citing insufficient
President Kenyatta has sought to attract foreign investment
evidence. Neither was acquitted, leaving the possibility of
as part of his ambitious economic agenda. Agriculture,
new charges, but allowing the pair to run for reelection.
manufacturing, and real estate are the top drivers of growth.
The 2017 Elections
Kenya also has a vibrant telecom industry that is a global
pioneer in mobile banking technology. China is financing
The 2013 elections heralded major changes in Kenya’s
major infrastructure projects. The IMF has warned Kenya
political system. They were the first held under a new 2010
to contain rising debt, of which China holds a growing
constitution, which set new checks and balances and a more
share. Debt stood at 56.5% of GDP in 2018, up from 42%
deliberate separation of powers, including the devolution of
when Kenyatta took office. Development challenges
authority to 47 new county governments. The constitution
persist: Kenya has made limited progress in reducing
created a Supreme Court, an upper house in parliament, a
extreme poverty, food insecurity, and maternal mortality.
new anti-corruption authority, and a land commission.
U.S. Policy and Assistance
Elections in 2017 were a major test for Kenya’s political
institutions. Amid a polarized political landscape, a series
Despite generally close ties, governance and human rights
of scandals rocked the electoral commission. Civil society,
concerns have sometimes complicated the U.S.-Kenya
the opposition, and election monitors raised concerns about
relationship and have been a focus for congressional action.
the voter register, ballot procurement, results transmission,
The Trump and Kenyatta Administrations have sought to
and the murder of a top election official. Election monitors
improve relations: when Kenyatta visited the White House
gave positive reviews of the voting and counting processes,
in 2018, the two leaders resolved to elevate the relationship
but problems arose in the transmission and tallying of
to a Strategic Partnership. Talks focused on counter-
results. When Kenyatta was declared the winner with
terrorism (CT) and economic cooperation, among other
54.7% to opposition leader Odinga’s 44.9%, the opposition
issues. Nearly $900 million in commercial deals were
cried foul and challenged the result in court.
announced during the visit. A working group is exploring
options to strengthen the trade relationship. Direct flights,
Kenya’s Supreme Court nullified the presidential result in a
once blocked over security concerns, started in late 2018.
landmark ruling, finding that the election had not been
conducted in accordance with the law and ordering a fresh
Allegations of abuses by Kenyan security forces have posed
election. The Court faced threats from senior officials.
challenges for security cooperation. Kenya is nevertheless
Odinga deemed reforms insufficient, boycotting the re-run.
routinely the top sub-Saharan recipient of U.S. anti-
Turnout fell, 77.5% to 38.8%, and Kenyatta won with 98%.
terrorism assistance for law enforcement. In the past
decade, the Department of Defense has provided roughly
The opposition contested Kenyatta’s legitimacy into early
$400 million in CT “train and equip” support to Kenya.
2018, holding a mock inauguration and declaring Odinga
“the people’s president.” The government termed the event
Kenya is a top recipient of U.S. foreign aid, often receiving
“treasonous” and arrested several opposition figures. The
over $800 million annually. The Administration’s FY2020
chief justice and his predecessor, as well as two former U.S.
aid request of $383 million (not including humanitarian aid)
for Kenya was significantly lower than prior requests.
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Kenya

IF10168
Lauren Ploch Blanchard, Specialist in African Affairs


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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10168 · VERSION 19 · UPDATED

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