Relationship dossier
Kenya
Russia
Relationship assessment
Longstanding relations include modest cooperation and a clear disagreement over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Kenya toward Russia
0Kenya supported the 2022 United Nations General Assembly resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, signaling opposition to a major Russian government policy. Kenya has also maintained diplomatic relations and bilateral engagement with Russia.
Russia toward Kenya
+15Russia has maintained bilateral engagement with Kenya, including education cooperation and scholarship opportunities for Kenyan students. The breadth and continuity of these initiatives are unclear.
Overall relationship
+10The relationship combines longstanding diplomatic engagement and limited practical cooperation with a major political disagreement over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The available picture suggests a mixed relationship rather than a close partnership or sustained confrontation.
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
Kenya and Russia maintain longstanding diplomatic relations, with some government cooperation in education and other bilateral matters. Kenya’s support for a 2022 United Nations resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine illustrates a significant point of disagreement. The relationship appears mixed, with modest cooperation alongside differences over Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
Areas of tension
- Kenya’s opposition at the United Nations to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Key developments
Kenya voted in favor of the United Nations General Assembly resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral education and other cooperation are unclear.
- The extent of recent government-to-government engagement is uncertain.