The role of parliament in foreign policy making process in Kenya 1963-1993

Abstract

This study is an attempt to inquire into the role of parliament in foreign-policy making process in Kenya since independence up to 1993. The study proceeds from the premise that Kenya's independence constitution vested parliament with the authority to play a leading role in the formulation of the country's foreign-policy. This authority was vested in parliament in line with the concept of separation of powers, whereby the three arms of the government namely the executive, legislature and the judiciary acts to "check and balance" each other. It is argued in this thesis that while the constitution assigns specific roles to be played by both the parliament and executive in the formulation and implementation of the country's foreign policy respectively; the evidence adduced shows that the executive (presidency) has in most cases by-passed the National Assembly in the conduct of the entire foreign policy process. The decision-making theory approach in foreign-policy constitutes the conceptual framework for this study. The argument here is that few important issues fall exclusively within the domain of a single organization. Thus government behavior relevant to any important problem reflects the independent output of several organizations partially coordinated by government leaders.