Kenya’s “Native Son” and Enduring Local Issues

Abstract

The United States and Kenya have enjoyed warm relations since Kenya’s independence in 1963. This relationship was further strengthened during the Cold War, as Kenya became a strategic partner in helping advance American military and ideological interests. However, during the past decade, as the Cold War faded into history, two major issues have come to the forefront in Kenya that have helped shape the U.S.-Kenya bilateral relationship and set the agenda for America’s public diplomacy program in Kenya. The U.S. election of Barack Obama, Kenya’s “native son,” did help improve America’s image in that country, but the issues that have most affected our public diplomacy efforts there are internal ones. One issue is terrorism, which became a major concern for both countries when the U.S. Embassy in Kenya was bombed in 1998, and that took on even more significance for the United States after 9/11. The other issue is Kenya’s internal political development and its struggle with democracy, especially after the 2007 postelection crisis. This essay will discuss how the American public diplomacy professionals in Kenya address these and other issues, what tools they use, and how the resulting messages are perceived by the Kenyan public.