Relationship dossier
Kenya
Western Sahara
Relationship assessment
Kenya’s recognition policy toward the SADR has shifted, while the broader bilateral relationship is unclear.
Kenya toward Western Sahara
-5Kenya recognized the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic before announcing in 2022 that it would withdraw recognition and support Morocco’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara.
Western Sahara 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 recognized the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) and later announced a change in that policy, aligning with Morocco’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara. The shifts make Kenya’s policy toward the SADR mixed over time. Information about substantive SADR government cooperation with Kenya is insufficient to assess the relationship from the opposite perspective.
Key developments
Kenya announced that it would withdraw recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and support Morocco’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of Kenya’s announced policy change are unclear.
- Details of substantive SADR government cooperation with Kenya are limited.