East-West Strategic Military Competition on Kenya’s Defense Policy, 2003-2022
| dc.contributor.author | Wafula, Collins Mutyaba | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-07-24T13:25:38Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-07-24T13:25:38Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-04 | |
| dc.description | A Research Project Submitted to the School of Law, Arts and Social Sciences in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirement for the Award of the Degree of Masters of Arts in International Relations and Diplomacy of Kenyatta University, April, 2025 Supervisors; 1. Xavier Francis Ichani | |
| dc.description.abstract | This study investigated the implications of East-West military strategic competition on Kenya’s defense policy between 2003 and 2022. The first specific objective traced the genesis of East - West military strategic competition, the second objective analyzed post-Cold War interest driving the East West strategic competition and the third objective evaluated the influence the East-West strategic competition on Kenya’s defense policy between 2003-2022. Realism and the rational actor model of international relations served as the theoretical underpinning for this study. Review of related literature was done using search engines including Google Scholar, JSTOR, Semantic Scholar among others utilizing keywords such as East-West strategic competition and defense policy. The reviewed literature aided this study to gain deeper insights on the topic. This study utilized mixed methods research design that combined both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Both probability sampling and non-probability sampling techniques were used to determine a sample size of eighty (80) derived from a target population that included policy makers in the military and Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Non-governmental organizations, National Government Officials, and international relations experts. The main methods for gathering primary data were questionnaires and interviews. Besides, content analysis method was used to secondary data. Collected data was examined, condensed, and categorized in order to find recurring themes and draw accurate conclusions. Frequencies and percentage were used to report the quantitative results while narrative and verbatims were used to present qualitative findings. This study established that the origin of East-West Strategic competition has nothing to do with Africa, where the current geostrategic competition is taking place, but stems from historical ideological divergence between the Great Powers in the West and East during the Cold War, the security situation in Asia Pacific and in the Artic regions and the great power’s policy of arming of allies. This study also found that the post-Cold War drivers of the current East-West Strategic competition include interest of East-West powers in Africa which are either economic, military and strategic. These interests manifest in different ways. Further, this study revealed that the implication of East-West Strategic competition on Kenya’s Défense policy include rationality in decision making in regards of military assistance the country receives, influence possible trading partners during procurement and acquisition of military equipment’s and weapons, selective formation and signing of military pacts and alliances, and finally restricted military training and technology transfers between old and new found allies. Due to East-West influence, the Kenya defense policy is non -aligned, though assertive in fostering international peace and security as well in countering terrorism. The defense policy further seeks to maintain traditional allies in the West while also courting of new allies in the East. This study recommends Kenya defense policy strategist to maintain the status quo of striking a balance between the East and the West so as to play middle ground in the wake revamped East West rivalry in the Horn and Eastern African region. This will help the Kenya military to gain more strategic advantage from the traditional as well from the new allies which jointly aid the state military against her security threats. This study will benefit both policy makers and academician on how to navigate beyond great strategic competition and its influence the Kenya’s defence policy. | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Kenyatta University | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/30817 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Kenyatta University | |
| dc.title | East-West Strategic Military Competition on Kenya’s Defense Policy, 2003-2022 | |
| dc.type | Thesis |