Relationship dossier
Kenya
South Sudan
Relationship assessment
Regional peace efforts and bilateral cooperation underpin Kenya–South Sudan ties.
Kenya toward South Sudan
+35Kenya has supported South Sudan’s regional integration and hosted South Sudanese leaders for peace-related engagement, contributing to regional efforts to address the conflict.
South Sudan toward Kenya
+35South Sudan has pursued bilateral cooperation with Kenya through agreements covering areas including trade and security, and joined the East African Community with Kenya as a member.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship combines Kenya’s regional engagement in South Sudan’s peace process with bilateral cooperation and South Sudan’s integration into the East African Community. Political instability and challenges implementing cooperation limit the depth and predictability of the partnership.
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 has supported South Sudan’s regional integration and has played a role in efforts to address its conflict. The two governments have also pursued bilateral cooperation, including agreements covering areas such as trade and security. These ties are substantial but operate alongside the instability and implementation challenges affecting South Sudan.
Key developments
South Sudan joined the East African Community, whose members include Kenya.
The governments pursued bilateral agreements covering areas including trade and security during South Sudanese President Salva Kiir’s visit to Kenya.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral cooperation agreements are unclear.
- The extent of recent Kenyan involvement in South Sudan’s peace process is uncertain.