Relationship dossier
Kenya
North Korea
Relationship assessment
Kenya acted against North Korea over its nuclear and missile activities; the wider bilateral relationship is unclear.
Kenya toward North Korea
-40In 2017, Kenya expelled North Korea’s ambassador amid international action over North Korea’s nuclear and missile activities. The scope of any broader change to diplomatic relations is unclear.
North Korea toward Kenya
Not assessedOverall relationship
Not assessedHow 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
Kenya took action against North Korea in 2017 in response to its nuclear and missile activities, including expelling North Korea’s ambassador. The extent and subsequent implementation of any broader severing of diplomatic ties are unclear. Information about North Korean government conduct specifically toward Kenya is insufficient to assess that aspect of the relationship.
Areas of tension
- Kenya’s response to North Korea’s nuclear and missile activities
Key developments
Kenya expelled North Korea’s ambassador amid international action over North Korea’s nuclear and missile activities.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of Kenya’s 2017 decision concerning diplomatic ties are unclear.
- Details of North Korean government conduct toward Kenya are limited.