Relationship dossier
India
Kenya
Relationship assessment
India and Kenya sustain a development partnership strengthened by strategic cooperation and high-level engagement.
India toward Kenya
+45India has provided development assistance and training to Kenya and pursued cooperation in areas including defence, agriculture and health. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2016 visit, the governments concluded bilateral agreements and India announced a line of credit for Kenyan agriculture.
Kenya toward India
+40Kenya has pursued high-level engagement and bilateral cooperation with India. President William Ruto’s 2023 visit culminated in the elevation of ties to a strategic partnership and agreements covering areas including digital public infrastructure, culture and sports.
Overall relationship
+45The relationship is underpinned by recurring development cooperation and bilateral agreements, with defence and sectoral collaboration alongside high-level political engagement. The 2023 strategic partnership broadened the framework for cooperation. The breadth and implementation of specific initiatives remain uncertain.
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
India and Kenya maintain a sustained development and strategic partnership. Indian development assistance, training and defence cooperation have been accompanied by reciprocal high-level engagement and bilateral agreements. The 2023 elevation of ties to a strategic partnership reinforced cooperation in areas including digital public infrastructure, culture and sports.
Key developments
During Narendra Modi’s visit to Kenya, the governments concluded bilateral agreements and India announced a line of credit for Kenyan agriculture.
During William Ruto’s visit to India, the countries elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership and concluded agreements in areas including digital public infrastructure, culture and sports.
Major uncertainties
- The current scope and implementation of bilateral agreements and development projects are unclear.
- The extent of practical cooperation under the strategic partnership is uncertain.