Relationship dossier
Kenya
United States
Relationship assessment
Kenya and the United States sustain a close partnership in defense, security, development, and diplomacy.
Kenya toward United States
+70Kenya has pursued sustained security and diplomatic cooperation with the United States, including through bilateral defense cooperation arrangements and joint engagement on regional security. Kenya's participation in the multinational security mission in Haiti has also aligned with a major US-backed initiative.
United States toward Kenya
+70The United States has supported Kenya through security and development cooperation and elevated the relationship by designating Kenya a major non-NATO ally in 2024. The two governments have also maintained high-level engagement, including the 2024 US state visit to Kenya.
Overall relationship
+70The relationship is anchored by durable security and development cooperation, reinforced by high-level diplomacy and trade and investment engagement. The 2024 major non-NATO ally designation reflects the depth of the partnership, while implementation of defense and economic initiatives remains an important variable.
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 the United States maintain a close, sustained partnership spanning defense, security, health, trade, and diplomacy. Kenya has expanded security cooperation with the United States, while the United States has supported Kenyan security and development initiatives and designated Kenya a major non-NATO ally in 2024. The relationship also includes high-level engagement and recurring cooperation on regional and international issues.
Key developments
The United States designated Kenya a major non-NATO ally.
The United States and Kenya held a state visit in Washington, strengthening high-level bilateral engagement.
Kenya and the United States signed a bilateral defense cooperation agreement.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of defense cooperation arrangements are not fully clear.
- The extent to which trade and investment negotiations have produced durable outcomes is uncertain.