Relationship dossier
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Kenya
Relationship assessment
Regional cooperation on integration and eastern Congo has been tempered by disagreements over the regional force.
Democratic Republic of the Congo toward Kenya
+15The DRC joined the East African Community in 2022, entering a regional framework in which Kenya participates. Congolese authorities later required the East African Community Regional Force to leave, citing its ineffectiveness, creating friction with Kenya’s regional security engagement.
Kenya toward Democratic Republic of the Congo
+20Kenya led the Nairobi peace process for armed groups in eastern Congo and contributed to the East African Community Regional Force deployed in the DRC. The force’s role became contentious, and the DRC required it to leave in 2023.
Overall relationship
+15Regional integration and Kenya’s diplomatic and security engagement in eastern Congo form the main cooperative structure. Disagreement over the East African Community Regional Force’s mandate and performance has been a significant counterweight.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya have pursued regional cooperation through the East African Community, including the DRC’s accession in 2022. Kenya also took a prominent role in regional efforts to address conflict in eastern Congo, including the Nairobi peace process and the East African Community Regional Force. Disagreements over the force’s effectiveness and mandate complicated that cooperation.
Areas of tension
- The DRC objected to the effectiveness and role of the East African Community Regional Force and required it to leave.
Key developments
The DRC joined the East African Community, of which Kenya is a member.
Kenya led the Nairobi peace process for armed groups in eastern Congo.
The DRC required the East African Community Regional Force to leave, citing its ineffectiveness.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral agreements outside regional frameworks are unclear.
- The extent of continuing government cooperation on eastern Congo security and peace efforts is uncertain.