Dynamics of Kenya-US dyadic military diplomacy: Re-imagining the strategic core of the United States-Africa Command

Résumé

Across the globe there a number of United States’ combatant commands.  United States African Command’s (USAFRICOM) creation can be interpreted as a sign of increasing U.S focus on security in Africa. This study therefore interrogates the evolving dynamics of Kenya-United States dyadic military diplomacy. The study focuses on reimaging the strategic core of the USAFRICOM. Located within the broader gamut of post-9/11 counterterrorism operations and shifting geopolitical disputations in Africa, the study assesses how USAFRICOM has shaped Kenya’s international and external security architecture. Although the collaboration has augmented in scope, including but not limited to aspects such as counterterrorism, maritime security, interoperability as well as the strategic competition, USAFRICOM’s efficacy and sovereignty implications remain contested. As a consequence, this study attempted to address the tensions between operational military cooperation and the asymmetrical power structures inherent within the Kenya-US security arrangements. Particularly, the study questions whether USAFRICOM’s strategic posture enhances or stymies Kenya’s national interests, consequently undermining its sovereignty. The primary objective of this study was to interrogate the political dynamics underpinning Kenya-USA dyadic military diplomacy. The study was underpinned by Regional Security Complex Theory, which explicates security interdependence within proximate regions and power theory which interrogates asymmetries and hegemonic influence between Kenya and the U.S. Philosophically, the study employed pragmatism as a paradigm in methodological flexibility and knowledge based on practical consequences. The study adopted a descriptive   research design. The study targeted a total of 300 respondents drawn from combatants from Kenya-Kenya Defense Forces and   base affiliated personnel in Lamu county, (250) and 50 US-rotational personnel in Nairobi County, as well as 60 key informants drawn from US embassy Defence Attaché, think tanks, international relations analysts, geo-security experts. The sample size was 125 drawn from 201 questionnaires distributed, duly filled and returned. The findings of the study reveal that, though counterterrorism cooperation and maritime security significantly drive the partnership, strategic autonomy, command efficacy and external influence have not been given utmost attention and remain thinly unchartered. Therefore, the study concludes that, USAFRICOM’s current posture requires recalibration towards greater localization and institutional balance. This study, recommends that restructuring of strategic engagement is an imperative to enhance Kenyan agency, interoperability without dependency and sovereignty interference.