Public Diplomacy and Cross Border Relations between Ethnic Somalis in Bur Ache Somalia and Mandera County, Kenya, 2011-2024
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Date
2025-10
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Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
The Kenya governments have been engaging their foreign publics to attract foreign aid, tourism, investments and in their development trajectory. Kenya has in many occasions employed public diplomacy to influence foreign publics that share same ethnicity and culture with their counterparts in the country to cultivate cordial cross border relations. This study examined Kenya’s public diplomacy and cross border relations between the Somali in Bur Ache and Mandera County. Three objectives have been set for this study. This study explored the public diplomatic strategies put in place by the Government of Kenya, examined the effectiveness of the Government of Kenya government in its public diplomatic efforts and assessed the challenges faced by the Government of Kenya in its public diplomatic efforts in enhancing cordial cross-border relations between ethnic Somalis in Bur Ache Region and Mandera County. This study was anchored on two complementary theories namely; Realism and Liberalism. Anchored on realism and liberalism this study considered public diplomacy in the context of broader social relations emphasizing that both states interests that is not necessarily pursued through the use of force, can still be achieved through the use soft power to influence foreign publics. The study was in the form of a descriptive research design. This study employed both primary and secondary sources of data collection. A total of 384 respondents were selected for field interviews. Questionnaires were distributed to 360 residents, 180 each from Bur Ache and Mandera who were selected through random probability sampling. Interview schedules were administered to 24 purposively selected respondents who included; Diplomats, Officials of International NGOs, Clan elders and Muslim Clergy. Data collected was analyzed and interpreted quantitatively and qualitatively. The study found out that the Kenya Government has put in place effective public diplomatic strategies to enhance peaceful co-existence among ethnic Somalis in Bur Ache Region and Mandera County. It was also observed that. The Kenya Government has made great achievements in its public diplomatic efforts in enhancing peaceful co-existence among ethnic Somalis in Bur Ache Region and Mandera County. Furthermore, it was noted that here exist a number of challenges faced by the Government of Kenya in its public diplomatic efforts in enhancing peaceful co-existence among ethnic Somalis in Bur Ache Region and Mandera County. This study recommended that additional efforts should be made by government through public diplomacy to increase pursuance of Kenya’s Foreign Policy in the Bur Ache Region. Additionally, the government of Kenya should come up with strategies to mitigate challenges faced by public diplomacy towards residents of Bur Ache.
Description
A Project Submitted to the School of Law, Arts and Social Sciences in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Arts in International Relations and Diplomacy of Kenyatta University, October 2025.
Supervisor
1.Mariko, Galgalo Barako